On Nov. 6, Kamala Harris spoke to her supporters in a Concession speech after President-Elect Trump’s victory for the White House. She delivered her speech at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington D.C. She thanked her supporters and told them she loved them. She expressed gratitude for the trust her supporters placed in her and her campaign. She admired Americans’ love for their country.
She encouraged her supporters to continue the passion they hold for bettering America.
“The light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting,” Harris said.
She thanked her husband, Doug Emhoff, and her family for their love and support. She then thanked President Biden and Jill Biden for their faith and support. She thanked her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, and his family for their strong service to the nation. Harris then thanked her team, the volunteers, poll workers and local election officials.
Harris stated her intention for community building, building coalitions and bringing Americans together from every walk of life. She emphasized the core value of love for her country and knowledge that Americans have more in common than what separates us.
She affirmed Americans’ wide range of emotions right now.
“We must accept the results of this election,” she said, despite high emotions.
She also noted that she congratulated President-Elect Trump on his victory.
“We will help him and his team with their transition and we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” Harris said.
She noted the importance of accepting the election results as a core component of American democracy.
“That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny,” she said.
She told supporters that we do not owe loyalty to a president or party, but to the Constitution of the United States and to our conscience and to God. She told supporters that while she concedes this election, she will not concede the fight that fueled the campaign: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people.
She emphasized the continuing of important priorities for America and how she will not give up on the fight.
“I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations,” she said.
Harris also spoke on ways to continue this fight in quieter ways.
“In how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve,” Harris said.
She circled back to a phrase she often used on the campaign trail. She often said, “when we fight we win,” She told supporters that sometimes the fight takes a while.
“The important thing is don’t ever give up,” Harris said. “Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.”
Despite the outcome of the election, she told supporters that this is not a time to throw hands, it is a time to roll up 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,” Harris said.
She concluded by indicating that the work to come should guide Americans even in the face of setbacks.
On Nov. 6, Biden addressed the nation in the Rose Garden of the White House. Biden acknowledged Harris’s campaign efforts, and called her a “tremendous partner and public servant full of integrity, courage and character.”
Biden guaranteed that he would help Trump and his team with their transition and censure in a peaceful transfer of power. Biden also assured the American people of his continued love for the country despite the outcome of the election and his devotion to uplifting all Americans.
“You can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said. “You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
Biden concluded by encouraging Americans to keep the faith and stay engaged.
“Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable,” he said.
Villanovans shared similar sentiments and commented on their peaceful concession of power. Senior nursing major Emma Conlin commented on Harris and Walz’s graceful acceptance of Trump’s victory.
“Harris and Walz both gracefully and respectfully conceded to their loss which for me, solidified their commitment to responding to hardships and hate with love and empowerment.” Conlin said. “While I’m disappointed with the outcome of the election, Harris and Walz addressed the nation with humility and expressed optimism even in the face of setbacks.”
Senior political science major Tyler Denison echoed Conlin’s statement.
“On Wednesday, Kamala Harris reaffirmed the civic responsibility ignored by Trump when she gracefully conceded her defeat,” Denison said. “The final speech of her campaign reaffirmed its central themes: hope and joy, even in the face of chaos and division.”
