Harris concedes the election, but not ‘the fight that fueled this campaign’

By Betsy Klein, Aaron Pellish and Ebony Davis, CNN

Washington (CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris offered an uplifting, positive charge to her supporters as she conceded the 2024 presidential election, acknowledging the stinging loss while committing to a peaceful transfer of power and vowing to “fight” in a much different way than a defeated presidential candidate promised four years ago.

“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.

In making the remarks, Harris did something her opponent refused to do in the aftermath of the 2020 election: Accept its results.

“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.

“Do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together,” she said in her 12-minute remarks.

She vowed to wage that fight “in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square,” as well as in “quieter ways: By treating one another with kindness and respect … by always using our strength to lift people up.”

She also sent messages to her more youthful supporters.

“To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK. On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing, sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. 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 better place,” she continued. “You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.”

With the glass ceiling still intact, Harris did not directly address the nation’s failure to reach the historic, barrier-breaking outcome of a female president for the second time, something she largely avoiding highlighting on the campaign trail, rather letting surrogates do the talking for her.

But she offered a nod to the moment: “Don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.”

The speech marked a conclusion to a historic and tumultuous election season that included President Joe Biden’s decision to step aside following a catastrophic debate performance. His running mate quickly consolidated the party’s support, ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket.

Harris wore a dark suit late Wednesday afternoon and walked out to Beyoncé’s up-tempo anthem, “Freedom,” as she has throughout her time on the campaign trail, pausing for several moments as the crowd applauded her.

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, could be seen crying, as well as multiple attendees standing in the front row before her.

Harris had gathered with close family and aides at the Naval Observatory on Tuesday evening and did not appear at her campaign’s watch party at Howard University as thousands of her supporters gathered at her alma mater to watch the results come in.

She officially conceded the race earlier Wednesday afternoon, offering her congratulations to Trump in a call that lasted only a few minutes, a person familiar said.

Harris, a senior aide said, “discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.”

In a twist of irony, Harris’ day job will soon require her to officially certify her own loss.

The vice president, as president of the Senate, “presides over the count and announces the results of the Electoral College vote” on January 6, 2025, according to the National Archives.

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