“My heart is full today” says Kamala Harris as she delivers concession speech.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET following her defeat by former President Donald Trump in the White House race. It came after it was revealed Harris had rang Trump to concede.
“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 said in remarks at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington, DC.
She told the assembled: “My heart is full today, full of gratitude, and full of resolve.”
Her voiced cracked with emotion as she encouraged the crowd never to give up, after paying tribute to her husband Doug Emhoff and her family. She went on: “We owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the constitution to the United States, and loyal to our country and our god. My allegiance to all three is while I am here. While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign.”
“The fight for out country is always worth it,” she went on to a waving and cheering crowd. She said: “It’s okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s okay”
“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 said.
One hundred and eight days after her campaign began, the self-described “joyful warrior” spoke about her loss in determined terms as she sought to reassure the American people.
“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.
Closing a chapter in the history books after a tense campaign, the vice president offered a call to supporters to “roll up our sleeves” in response to the election results.
