November 7- Kamala Harris officially conceded the election to Donald Trump on Wednesday, urging Americans upset by the result to “not despair” but to stay committed to defending democracy.
Speaking at Howard University, Harris told the crowd, “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign… the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up.”
Harris confirmed she had called Trump earlier to congratulate him and assured that the Biden administration would “engage in a peaceful transfer of power.” She emphasized, “In our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution,” which was met with applause.
She addressed supporters’ concerns about the future under Trump but insisted, “This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice.”
Harris’s concession ended an intense 100-day campaign. By Wednesday afternoon, Trump had won in at least five battleground states and was set to win the popular vote, claiming an “unprecedented and powerful mandate.”
Addressing young people in the audience, Harris urged persistence: “When we fight, we win… sometimes the fight takes a while.” She concluded with hope, saying, “If we are entering a dark time… let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, billion stars.”
As she exited, Beyoncé’s “Freedom” played, closing the chapter on the election.
