Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, has urged her supporters to accept Donald Trump’s White House victory while vowing to “never give up” fighting for their principles.
The US vice president acknowledged “the outcome of this election is not what we wanted” during a concession speech in Washington, DC, but advocated for a peaceful transfer of power.
Harris, who had cancelled a victory speech at the same location the night before, likewise encouraged the crowd not to despair.
Trump won enough crucial battleground states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, to capture the president, with a few states still to declare.
Harris stated in Wednesday’s remarks from her alma mater, Howard University, “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.”
“I know folks are experiencing a range of emotions right now,” she said with a chuckle. “I get it. But we must respect the results of this election.”
Her fans replied with loud boos when she mentioned that she had a phone discussion with President-elect Trump, and “I told him we would help him and his team with his transition. And we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign,” she added. Her speech referenced “fight” or “fighting” 19 times.
During the campaign, the competitors frequently traded varbal attacks, with Harris referring to Trump as a “fascist” and menace to American democracy.
Harris told her supporters on Wednesday, “I know many people believe we are entering a dark period. But for the sake of all of us, I hope that is not the case.”
The former California senator aimed to be the first woman, black woman, and South Asian American to win the presidency.
