Kamala Harris addressed the nation after her devastating loss to Donald Trump.
The vice president arrived at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington, D.C. yesterday afternoon to deliver an incredibly inspiring, hopeful, and impassioned concession speech.
“My heart is full today,” she began, noting that she feels “proud of the race we ran and how we ran it.”
Harris told voters that it’s okay for some to feel disappointed by Trump’s win, but no matter who is in power, “the light of America’s promise will always shine bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.” She added, “I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time. I hope … that is not the case. But if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant, billion of stars.”
Harris thanked running mate Tim Walz—who was in the audience with his family—as well as her team and her supporters, campaign volunteers, and poll workers.
She added that while this isn’t the outcome she wanted, she has accepted the result of the election, congratulated Trump on his victory, and promised to help him run the country the way it must be run to honor the Constitution and the American people.
“We must accept the result of the election,” she said, explaining that a “peaceful transfer of power is a fundamental principal of American democracy” and distinguishes our democracy “from monarchy or tyranny.” (Her statement brought to mind Trump’s refusal to accept his loss against Joe Biden and VP Harris in 2020.)
“And, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said, to cheers from her audience.
The Democrat, who would have been the country’s first female president, assured her supporters that despite her loss, the fight is far from over. She said, “Sometimes the fight takes a while—that doesn’t mean we won’t win. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever listen when someone says something is impossible because it has never been done before.”
“This is not a time to throw up our hands; this is a time to roll up our sleeves,” she added before concluding: “May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.”
Watch her full speech here.
Tuesday night, as polls around the country closed, supporters of the Democratic nominee came together in the nation’s capital, where she was expected to give a victory speech. But as it became clear that the majority of the country had turned red, a member of her team confirmed that she would not be speaking publicly until today.
“We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue overnight to try to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken,” cochair of the Harris campaign and former Representative Cedric Richmond told the audience gathered at Harris’s alma matter last night. “So you won’t hear from the vice president tonight. But you will hear from her tomorrow because she will be back here tomorrow to address not only the [Howard University] family, not only to address her supporters but to address the nation.”
Trump’s victory came after he won the key states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which pushed him to reach the 270 electoral votes necessary to take the presidency. He will assume office on January 20.
