After entering the race just four months ago, Vice President Kamala Harris lost the US presidential election to former President Donald Trump, now the president-elect.
The Republican candidate will return to the White House next January for a second non-consecutive term after obtaining the 270 electoral votes needed to become president in the early morning hours of Wednesday.
Here is the text of Harris’ statements in which she admitted defeat to Trump several hours after the Republican was declared the winner.
Kamala Harris:
“Good evening. Thank you all, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. So let me say, and I love you again. And I love you again. So let me say that my heart is full today. My heart is full today. Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve. The result of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, and not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of the American promise will continue to shine Permanence as long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting.
To my beloved Doug and our family, I love you so much. To President Biden and Dr. Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know that your service to our nation will continue. And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and local election officials, thank you, thank you all.
Look, I’m very proud of the race we had and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been determined to build community and build coalitions, bringing people together from all walks of life and backgrounds, united by patriotism with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. We did this knowing that we all have much more in common than what divides us.
Now, I know that people are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we have to accept the results of these elections. Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we would assist him and his team in their transition and that we would participate in a peaceful transfer of power. It is a fundamental principle of American democracy that when we lose an election, we accept its results. This principle, like any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. Whoever seeks public trust must respect it.
At the same time, we in our nation owe allegiance, not to a president or to a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, to our conscience and to our God. My loyalty to all three is why I’m here to say, even though I’m conceding this election, I’m not ceding the fight that fueled this campaign. Struggle, struggle for freedom, for opportunity, for justice and dignity for all people. The struggle for ideals is at the heart of our nation. Ideals that reflect America at its best. That is the fight I will never give up. I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can realize their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations, where American women are free to make decisions about their bodies and not tell their government what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and streets from gun violence. And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that each of us, no matter who we are or where we start, has certain basic rights. And freedoms that must be respected and supported. We will continue to fight this battle at the ballot box, in the courts, and in the public square. And we will also go through it in quieter ways, in the way we live our lives, by treating each other with kindness and respect, by looking a stranger in the face and seeing a neighbor, by always using our power to lift people up, fighting for the dignity that all people deserve.
The fight for our freedom will take hard work. But as I always say, we love hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be fun work, and fighting for our country is always worth it. It’s always worth it. For the guys watching, I love you. For young people watching the film, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know that it will be okay. On the campaign trail, I often said when we fight, we win. But that’s the thing, that’s the thing. Sometimes the fight takes time. This doesn’t mean we won’t win. This doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is to never give up, never give up, never stop trying to make the world a better place. You have the power. You have the power and never listen when anyone tells you that something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the power to do extraordinary good in the world.
Thus, for everyone watching, do not despair. This is not the time to raise our hands. This is the time to roll up our sleeves. This is the time to organize, mobilize, and participate for freedom, justice, and the future we all know we can build together. Look at a lot of you, I started out as a prosecutor, and throughout my career I’ve seen people in some of the worst times of their lives, people who have suffered great harm and great pain and yet found within themselves strength and courage and bravery. Determination to take a stand, take a stand, fight for justice, fight for themselves, fight for others. So, let their courage inspire us. Let their determination be our responsibility.
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I will conclude with this. There is a saying that a historian once called the law of history, and it applies to every society throughout the ages. The old saying is only when it’s dark enough can you see the stars. I know a lot of people feel like we’re entering a dark time, but for the sake of all of us, I hope that’s not the case. But here’s the thing, America, if so, let’s fill the sky with the light of a billion bright, brilliant stars. Light, the light of optimism, the light of faith, the light of truth and service. It is (Hudson University). Perhaps this work will guide us, even in the face of setbacks, toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America. Thank you all, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you all.”
&Copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
