Recalling the loss of his parents to COVID-19, Congressmember Robert Garcia painted a stark comparison between former president Donald Trump’s approach to the pandemic and that of the Biden-Harris administration as he delivered an emotional address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19.
Garcia recounted the horror he felt as mayor of Long Beach in 2020 as he watched the pandemic ravage his city and eventually claim more than 1,300 lives in Long Beach.
“What we needed at that moment was national leadership, but instead we got Donald Trump,” said Garcia. “While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus. He told us to inject bleach into our bodies, he peddled conspiracy theories across the country.”
Within a span of two weeks in the summer of 2020, Garcia lost both his mother and his stepfather to the disease.
“I will never forget when Kamala Harris called me after my parents died, she told me about her own story about losing her own mother and that she was praying for me at that very moment,” said Garcia. “Now we all know that later that year Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected president and vice president, and what a difference they made together.”
He praised the Biden-Harris administration for overseeing the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, reopening schools and getting the economy back on track.
During his speech, Garcia also discussed his immigrant roots and said that the proudest day of his life was the day he became an American citizen. Garcia was born in Lima, Peru and came to California alongside his mother at age five.
“My mom taught me to love this country,” said Garcia. “She taught me that real American patriotism is not about screaming and yelling America first. Real American patriotism is loving your country so much that you want to help the people in your country.”
Garcia added that Harris personifies this “real American patriotism” and is ready to lead the country forward.
As a freshman member in Congress, Garcia told the Long Beach Press-Telegram he was deeply honored to be asked to speak at the DNC in support of his personal hero and good friend.
Garcia and Harris first became close when she ran for California attorney general in 2010. At the time, Garcia had just been elected to Long Beach City Council and helped volunteer for Harris’s attorney general campaign.
Harris returned the favor by rallying to Garcia’s side when he ran for mayor of Long Beach in 2014 and later gave a speech at his swearing-in ceremony. A few years later, Garcia traveled around the country stumping for Harris during her 2020 presidential campaign.
Garcia said he intends to revive that role in the runup to November and will be campaigning for Harris across the states with a focus on energizing LGBTQ+ and Latino voters.
