Harris concedes, encouraging peaceful transfer of power

Vice President Harris on Wednesday conceded the 2024 presidential contest to President-elect Trump during remarks at her alma mater, Howard University, in which she also encouraged a peaceful transfer of power.

“We owe loyalty not to a president or a party but to the Constitution of the United States and loyalty to our conscious and 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,” Harris said to a crowd of supporters.

“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,” Harris added.

She also told supporters that she spoke with Trump and congratulated him in his victory to boos from the crowd.

“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 added.

She said that “a fundamental principle” is that Americans except the results in an election and that principle “distinguishes democracy from monarchy and tyranny.”

The vice president encouraged her supporters to be a bright spot of optimism in the event the U.S. enters a “dark time” following the results of the election.

“I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case,” she said. “But here’s the thing, America — if it is— let us full the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant, billion of stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service.”

Her supporters in the crowd were teary-eyed as they watched her, holding up American flags and wearing “Kamala” shirts and “Harris-Walz” camouflage hats.

“To everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves,” she said, calling on her supporters to stay engaged.

The vice president vowed to not give up the fight for reproductive rights, to protect Americans from gun violence, and for democracy and rule of law. She called on Americans to wage those fights in the voting booth and courts but also “in quieter ways,” like treating one another with respect.

“To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign, I would often say, ‘when we fight we win.’ But here’s the thing… sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win,” she said. “The important thing is don’t ever give up, don’t ever give up, don’t ever stop trying to make the world a letter place.”

She also shared a message of gratitude for her supporters and her staff for her historic and condensed campaign that started in July after President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her.

“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,” she said. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

She thanked her family, including her husband Doug Emhoff, and thanked Biden and first lady Jill Biden, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). She also thanked her team, volunteers, poll workers and local election officials.

“I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it, and the way we ran it over the 107 days of this campaign. We have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future,” she said.

Walz and his wife Gwen Walz took a seat in the audience before Harris came out. Harris’s children, Cole and Ella, and the rest of Harris’s family took a seat near them. Harris and Walz are expected to host an all staff call with her campaign team after her remarks at Howard.

Harris came out to her signature campaign song, Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” clapping, waving and smiling along with supporters in the crowd.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who was a leading voice behind the pressure campaign for Biden to drop his 2024 bid, was in the crowd at her remarks. Biden watched her speech in the West Wing.

Before Harris took the stage, a host of Beyoncé songs played and supporters chanted the vice president’s name. The crowd at Howard said the vice president’s campaign empowered them and some expressed that they hope she runs for the White House again in 2028.

The vice president was slated to visit her watch part at Howard on Tuesday night but just after midnight, it became clear that she would not be leaving the Naval Observatory and her campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond announced to supporters that she would not address them.

Harris and Trump spoke earlier on Wednesday, during which she congratulated him and said she would work with Biden to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

Steven Cheung, Trump campaign communications director, said in a statement that Harris congratulated the former president during a call “on his historic victory,” adding that Trump complimented his political rival.

“President Trump acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” Cheung said.

Trump did not concede his own 2020 election defeat to Biden and spent the weeks after that election pushing false claims of widespread voter fraud. His supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try and stop the certification of the results.

Trump clinched the presidency in convincing fashion after winning North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. Arizona is still too close to call.

Biden also spoke with Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him and express “his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” according to the White House. He invited Trump to meet with him at the White House.

Cheyanne M. Daniels contributed to this report.

Updated at 4:58 p.m. EST