Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday publicly conceded the 2024 election to former President Donald Trump while calling on those who backed her to keep alive the ideals that formed her campaign and “never give up.”
“To everyone who is watching: Do not despair,” Harris declared. “This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”
Less than 24 hours after polls closed across the nation and less than 12 after the race was called for Trump, Harris descended on her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, where her supporters gathered Tuesday night to watch the results roll in, to deliver Wednesday’s remarks.
“While I conceded 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.”
The vice president noted she spoke with Trump earlier on Wednesday to congratulate him and help his team transition back into the White House, putting a particular emphasis on the importance of a peaceful transfer of power.
“That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny and anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it,” Harris said. “At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party but to the Constitution of the United States.”
Calling it a “fundamental principle of American democracy,” the vice president told her supporters it is time to accept the results of the election – something Trump never afforded President Joe Biden and Harris as the pair entered the White House. The former president has not acknowledged he lost the 2020 race to Biden, falsely claiming cheating took place. A group of his supporters also stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to disrupt the certification of results.
At the same time, Harris on Wednesday projected optimism about the future, declaring that she is “full of resolve” and will never give up the principles she fought for on the campaign trail, citing the issues of reproductive freedom and gun violence as well as democracy, rule of law and equal justice.
“We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square,” she said. “And we will also wage it in quieter ways – in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect; by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor; by always using our strength to lift people up.”
At one point, the vice president turned her attention specifically to young people in the crowd, gathered on the campuses of alma mater: “It is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it's going to be okay,” Harris said before reciting one of her most oft-used phrases on the campaign trail.
“On the campaign, I would often say, when we fight, we win,” Harris said. “But here's the thing, here's the thing: sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win.”
She went on to tell them that they hold “the power” and to never give up.
The vice president on Wednesday also took time to reflect on her historically short campaign. Harris had a whirlwind ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden suddenly dropped his reelection bid in mid-July amid pressure from his party following his debate with Trump in late June.
“I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it and the way we ran it,” Harris said. “Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions.”
She also thanked her husband and family, Biden and the first lady, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as well as her team.
As of Wednesday morning, it was clear Harris had no remaining path to victory and the Associated Press officially called the race for Trump just after 5:30 a.m. EST.
By the time Harris took the stage at Howard, the Associated Press had called five of the seven major battleground states for Trump. The two significant swing states that have yet to be called currently have the former president leading as well.