In the early morning hours of November 6, the 2024 presidential election was called for Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio senator JD Vance. That afternoon Vice President Kamala Harris officially conceded the race in a phone call to the Republican candidate.
“President Trump acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement, per NBC News.
In her concession speech, delivered at Howard University in Washington, DC, Harris was optimistic. “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,” the Democratic candidate said.
After giving thanks “to the poll workers and the local election officials,” Harris continued, “I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions…united. By love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future.”
Harris pointedly framed her response to a loss as different from Trump’s four years ago, when his refusal to concede resulted in an insurrection on Capitol Hill. “We must accept the results of this election,” Harris said, recalling her earlier phone conversation with her opponent. “I told him that we will help him and his team with his transition. And that we will engage in a peaceful transition of power. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results.”
Harris emphasized her commitment to America, telling the crowd, “We owe loyalty not to a president or to a party but to the Constitution of the United States. And loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign. The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation. The ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.” To reassure young people watching, she added, “Please know it’s gonna be okay,” and said, “Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up.”
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