US Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the presidential election but said she would not “give up the fight that fueled this campaign.”
“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country,” he said.
“The outcome of the elections is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for.
“But hear me when I say that the light of American promise will always shine as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
During her speech, she thanked her family, Joe Biden, the first lady, her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and her campaign staff.
“I am so proud of the race and how we ran it. Over the course of 107 days, we intentionally built communities and coalitions, bringing together people from all walks of life and backgrounds, united by a love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for the future of America,” Harris said.
“A peaceful transfer of power”
Harris said she congratulated Donald Trump today and said, “We have to accept the results of this election.”
“I also told him that we will help him and his team in the transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” he said. .
“This principle, like any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy and tyranny, and anyone seeking the public trust must honor it. We owe loyalty not to a president but to the Constitution of the United States.
“Even as I concede this election, I do not concede the struggle that fueled this campaign. The struggle, the struggle for freedom, opportunity, equity and the dignity of all people, a struggle for the ideals that are at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at its best – it’s a fight I will never give up.
“There is an adage that a historian once called the law of history, valid for every society throughout the ages. The adage is: ‘Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.'” I know that many people feel that We are entering a dark time but, for the sake of us all, I hope this is not the case.”
‘Do not despair’
“But the point is this: If it’s America, let’s fill the sky with the light of a billion bright stars. The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service,” Harris said.
“And so, to all who are watching, do not despair. This is not the time to throw up our hands. This is the time to roll up our sleeves. This is the time to organize, mobilize and stay committed for the sake of freedom, of justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”
Last Wednesday, local time, Harris called Trump to congratulate him said one of his senior assistants, after a bitter and contentious race.
Harris discussed with Trump the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans, the aide said in background.
Trump and Harris agreed on the need to unify the nation after their contentious campaign, the president-elect’s campaign says.
“President Trump recognized Vice President Harris’ strength, professionalism and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” spokesman Steven Cheung said.
Joe Biden congratulates Trump
Biden also called Trump to congratulate him on his victory Wednesday and invited his Republican successor to hold a meeting in the “near future,” the White House said.
In his meeting with Trump, “President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to unite the country,” a White House statement said.
Biden also spoke with Harris and “congratulated the vice president on her historic campaign,” the statement said, adding that the president “will address the nation on Thursday to discuss the election results and the transition.”
Here is Kamala Harris’ full speech:
My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of determination. 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, hear me when I say that the light of American promise will always shine as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.
I love you so much to my beloved Doug and our family. To President Biden and Dr. Biden, thank you for your trust and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue. And to my amazing team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and local election officials, I thank you. I thank you all.
Look, I’m so proud of the race we ran. And the way we handled it. Over the course of the 107 days of this campaign, we committed to building community and coalitions, bringing together people from all walks of life and backgrounds, united by love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have much more in common than what separates us.
Now, I know people are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I understand that, but we have to accept the results of this election. Today I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team in the transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.
A fundamental tenet of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. This principle, like any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone seeking the public trust must honor it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to one president or one party, but to the Constitution of the United States and loyalty to our conscience and our God.
My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say that while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign: the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for equity and for the dignity of all people. . A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect the best of America. This is a fight I will never give up.
I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies and don’t have the government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and streets from gun violence. And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that each of us, no matter who we are or where we come from, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms which must be respected and supported.
And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booths, in the courts and in the public square. And we will do it in quieter ways too: in the way we live our lives by treating each other with kindness and respect, by looking the stranger in the face and seeing the neighbor, always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for dignity that all people deserve.
The fight for our freedom will take hard work. But, as I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. And our country is always worth fighting for. It’s always worth it. For young people watching, it’s okay to feel sad and disappointed. But know that everything will be okay.
In the countryside, I would often say that when we fight, we win. But here’s the thing: sometimes the struggle lasts a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is to never give up. Never give up. Never stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. You have power. And never listen when someone tells you that something is impossible because it has never been done before.
You have the ability to do extraordinary good in the world. And so, to everyone watching, don’t despair. This is not the time to throw up your hands. This is the time to roll up our sleeves. This is the time to organize, mobilize, and stay committed for the sake of freedom, justice, and the future we all know we can build together.
Look, many of you know that I started out as a prosecutor and throughout my career I have seen people at the worst moments of their lives. People who have suffered great damage and great pain and yet have found within themselves the strength, courage and determination to take a stand, to fight for justice, for themselves, for others. So let’s let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination be our responsibility.
And I’ll end with this. There is an adage that a historian once called the law of history, true for every society throughout the ages. The saying is: “Only when it’s dark enough can you see the stars.” I know many people think we are entering a dark time, but for the sake of all of us, I hope that is not the case. But the point is this: America, if it is, let’s fill the sky with the light of a bright, brilliant billion stars.
The light, the light of optimism, faith, truth and service.
And may this work guide us even in the face of failure toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America. I thank you all. May God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. I thank you all.