Kamala Harris Says: I concede this election, not the fight that fuelled the campaign

United States Vice President candidate of the Democratic Party, Mrs. Kamala Harris, has conceded victory to former President Donald Trump, nominee of the Republican Party, who defeated her on Wednesday in the 2024 elections.

Trump got an emphatic victory and a solid return ticket to the White House after scoring 279 electoral votes to Harris’s 223.

The Harris Campaign said the Vice President had called Trump to formally concede defeat and congratulate him on his re-election.

Sky News quoted a senior adviser to Kamala Harris who said the Vice President talked about “the importance of a peaceful transfer of power” and “being a president for all Americans”.

This is a sharp contrast to 2020 when Trump refused to congratulate Joe Biden who defeated him in that year’s election.

Rather, Trump wove a conspiracy theory that claimed the vote was stolen. Not only that, he addressed a rally in front of the White House on January 6, 2021, that inspired an insurrection against the Capitol.

In a concession speech she delivered at Washington, Harris said she was “proud” of her campaign in the election,  and told her supporters: “We must accept the result”.

She said she “will engage in a peaceful transfer of power” and help the President-elect and his team with the transition.

“While I concede this election,” she declared, “I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign.

“I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it.”

Smiling and waving as she entered the stage, Kamala Harris acknowledged her supporters were feeling a “range of emotions”.

She told them that “it’s going to be okay,” adding: “Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

“Don’t ever give up”, she added. “Do not despair.”

According to  Sky News, Kamala Harris delivered her speech at Howard University – which she used to attend – in the same spot where she hoped to give a victory speech.

She thanked President Joe Biden for his support – as well as her running mate, Mr. Tim Walz, who was in the audience along with Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The US correspondent of Sky News, Martha Kelner, said she “could see some signs of emotion” on Ms Harris’ face, “particularly halfway through this speech when the crowd burst into spontaneous chants of ‘we love you'”.

“I think I saw her get a little glassy-eyed.”

Earlier, Ms Harris called Mr Trump to concede defeat in the US presidential election.

President Joe Biden also called former President Trump to congratulate him on his election win and invited him to the White House for a transition meeting.

“President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” the White House said.

Biden also spoke to Harris on the phone to congratulate her on her “historic campaign”.

Former President Barack Obama issued a statement congratulating Mr Trump on his victory.

“This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for,” he said. “But living in a democracy is about recognising that our point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power.”