Vice President Kamala Harris offered words of hope as she conceded after losing to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. She spoke at her alma mater Howard University as she urged supporters to stay the course.
Harris showed gratitude to her supporters, along with her husband Doug Emhoff, her running mate Tim Walz, President Joe Biden and her countless campaign staffers. Harris confirmed that she spoke with Trump following his win.
Here’s what Kamala Harris said in her presidential election concession speech
“Now 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. “I told him we will help him and his team with their transitions, and we will engage with a peaceful transfer of power.”
Trump officially won the 2024 election when he won the state of Wisconsin, reaching 270 electoral votes. Meanwhile, Harris said she would continue to fight for freedom.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign. The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation,” she said. “That is a fight I will never give up.”
She added, “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 also told the young people in the audience that OK to feel “sad and disappointed.”
“Please know it’s gonna be OK,” she said. “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,” Harris said.
Harris made history in 2021 as the first female vice president of the U.S. and then again in August when she became the first Black and South Asian woman to accept a major party’s nomination for president.
Watch the full speech below: