U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris urged Americans to not despair and “keep fighting” for the promise of a brighter future as she conceded her loss to president-elect Donald Trump in the U.S. election on Wednesday.
Speaking to her supporters outside her alma mater of Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harris said she called Trump to congratulate him on his victory earlier in the day and stressed the importance of both a peaceful transfer of power and being a president to all Americans.
“My heart is full today,” she said. “Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say: the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting.”
Harris and Democrats were reckoning Wednesday with Americans’ rejection of their historic effort to turn the page on both Trump and the unpopular Biden administration that Harris served in.
The vice-president trailed in every battleground state and failed to match U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2020 support among key demographics.
Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House — even after two impeachments, felony convictions and his attempt to overturn his previous election loss.
Harris said she was proud of the campaign she ran and thanked her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as well as Biden and her team. She said she will continue to push for progress on issues like reproductive freedom, protecting children from gun violence, and equal opportunity and justice for all Americans.
“I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now — I get it,” she said. “But we must accept the results of this election.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.”
Biden praised Harris in a statement released after she spoke Wednesday, calling her “a tremendous partner and public servant full of integrity, courage and character.”
“What America saw today was the Kamala Harris I know and deeply admire,” he said.
Biden called Harris earlier Wednesday to congratulate her “on her historic campaign,” and also congratulated Trump on his victory, the White House confirmed.
“President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together” in the call with Trump, a White House spokesperson said.
He also invited Trump to meet with him at the White House, but that meeting has not been confirmed, Biden’s office added.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement the president-elect was looking forward to meeting Biden at the White House, and that the meeting would take place “shortly.”
Harris had just over 100 days to turn around Democrats’ fortunes after Biden ended his re-election bid in July, following a disastrous debate performance against Trump that called his age and fitness for office into question.
She was quickly catapulted into the nomination without a proper party primary, but as Biden’s running mate was seen by many as his most logical successor.
Although Harris’ ascension boosted Democrats’ enthusiasm and raked in a record US$1 billion from donors in just three months, she faced challenges explaining how she would differ from Biden’s policies.
Trump seized on the cost-of-living crisis brought on by soaring inflation under Biden’s presidency, as well as a spike in encounters as the U.S.-Mexico border, forcing Harris to repeatedly defend both her and Biden’s record while she struggled to articulate how she herself would solve those issues.
The economy and immigration were among the top issues raised by voters in multiple exit polls on Election Day.
Harris on Wednesday spoke directly to young people who supported her and encouraged them to “not despair.”
“This is not a time to throw up our hands,” she said. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”
“The fight for our freedom will take hard work. But like I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work, and the fight for our country is always worth it.”