Vice President Kamala Harris formally conceded in a speech Wednesday afternoon at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she urged her followers to continue fighting for democracy. Former President Donald Trump will be serving a second term after he was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election early Wednesday by the Associated Press.
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00:00My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full
00:15of love for our country, and full of resolve.
00:21The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we
00:29voted for, but hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America's promise
00:40will always burn bright.
00:47As long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting.
00:56Now I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now.
01:02I get it.
01:05But we must accept the results of this election.
01:09Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory.
01:15I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition, and that we
01:22will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.
01:33A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept
01:39the results.
01:41That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny.
01:50And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.
01:55At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the
02:05Constitution of the United States.
02:13And loyalty to our conscience and to our God.
02:18My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do
02:28not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.
02:36I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions,
02:44and aspirations, where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their
02:50own body and not have their government telling them what to do.
02:57And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the
03:04public square.
03:07And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives.
03:14By treating one another with kindness and respect.
03:19By looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor.
03:26By always using our strength to lift people up.
03:32To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but
03:50please know it's going to be okay.
03:52On the campaign, I would often say, when we fight, we win.
03:58But here's the thing, here's the thing.
04:01Because the fight takes a while, that doesn't mean we won't win.
04:06That doesn't mean we won't win.
04:09The important thing is don't ever give up.
04:13Don't ever give up.
04:15Don't ever stop trying to make the world a better place.
04:20You have power.
04:23You have power.
04:25And don't you ever listen.
04:27When anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.
04:40You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.
04:47And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair.
04:52This is not a time to throw up our hands.
04:55This is a time to roll up our sleeves.
04:59I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time.
05:04But for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case.
05:09But here's the thing.
05:10America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion
05:19of stars, the light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and service.
05:47And may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks, toward the extraordinary promise
05:59of the United States of America.
06:02I thank you all.
06:03May God bless you.
06:05And may God bless the United States of America.
06:08I thank you all.