‘This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves,’ she said.
Vice President Kamala Harris offered a hopeful message to her supporters as she conceded the 2024 election. Speaking at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, DC, she said she’d already congratulated President-elect Trump, and would “engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”
Fighting for a better future ‘by treating one another with kindness’
“I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election,” she said.
Tacitly acknowledging her supporters’ heartbreak, she made it clear that though she’s lost, she will not abandon her campaign’s driving causes. In stark contrast to her opponent four years ago, she called for her supporters to fight for a better future, but in “quieter ways: By treating one another with kindness and respect … by always using our strength to lift people up.”
Accepting the results of the election
She stressed that she accepted the results of the election.
She said: “Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect (Donald) 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 repeatedly made it clear that she respected the democratic process, continuing: “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. … 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, 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,” she added.
This is a time to ‘stay engaged’
Recognizing the dark mood that has descended over many since yesterday’s result, she said that checking out was not an option, and that those who believe in the principles by which she fought the election must continue to champion them.
“Do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves,” she said. This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”
She made a special mention of her younger supporters, telling them: “To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK. On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”
