Addressing a tearful crowd at her alma mater, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the 2024 election but vowed to continue the “fight.”
Speaking at Howard University, Harris’ concession speech followed a phone call with President-elect Donald Trump in which she apparently called for a peaceful transfer of power and offered to aid the transition to a second Trump term.
“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. 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.
Harris acknowledged that the “outcome of this election is not what we wanted,” but promised that a single election would not end the struggle.
“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,” she said.
The vice president went on to say that in the United States, citizens do not owe loyalty to the President, or their political party, but to the U.S. Constitution, “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,” Harris said.
When the Vice President said she had spoken to the president-elect and committed to helping to ease his transition into the White House, her acknowledgement that she’d called Trump to offer congratulations was met with boos from the crowd.
“Earlier 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 with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” she said.
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said that the pair spoke briefly and that Trump congratulated Harris on a well run campaign.
“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,” Cheung said.
Harris thanked her staff and supporters for helping speed along her almost four-month-old campaign, and offered her thanks as well to President Joe Biden and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Look, I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future,” she said.
