During Wednesday afternoon on a campus at Howard University in Washington, Kamala Harris delivered her concession speech to acknowledge Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential elections.
"I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will assist him and his team with their transition and that we will participate in a peaceful transfer of power," said Harris.
Harris had disappointing results, as she could only achieve 226 electoral votes, which was the starting point of her election process: she lost the seven states defined as key (six of which Joe Biden won in 2020) and also Trump got 5 million more votes than her nationwide.
Compared to Biden four years ago, Harris was below him in 49 out of 50 states.
The speech marks a big difference with Trump.
The vice president highlighted a contrast with Trump, who four years ago refused to give a speech in front of Biden's victory, which he still does not accept to this day, falsely claiming that the elections were rigged.
Kamala Harris was emphatic in pointing out that "while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that drove this campaign... The fight for freedom, for opportunities, for justice, and the dignity of all individuals, a fight for the ideals that are at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect the best of America. That is a fight I will never give up on.".
Trying to lift the spirits of an excited and sad crowd on a campus square, Harris said, "The outcome of these elections is not what we wanted, it's not what we fought for, it's not what we voted for, but listen to me when I tell you that the light of the promise of the United States will always shine, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting."
What did Harris and Trump talk about?
In the conversation with Trump, Harris would have discussed the need for a peaceful transition of power, something that she is responsible for as the Vice President of the United States.
The presidential victory of Donald Trump will be certified in Congress on January 6 by the candidate he defeated, Kamala Harris. According to the Constitution, the vice president is the head of the Senate, which has the function of declaring the result of a presidential election.
President Joe Biden also called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his electoral victory and invite him to the White House to discuss the transition. During Thursday night, the Republican campaign confirmed the visit to the mansion located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.