In a historic move, Vice President Kamala Harris has officially conceded the 2024 presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump, marking her first acknowledgment of the outcome. Harris reached out to Trump via phone to congratulate him on his victory, a call seen as a symbolic acceptance of Trump’s return to the White House. During the call, Harris emphasized the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and reiterated her commitment to upholding democratic principles. Harris, who narrowly lost in several key battleground states, is expected to address the public at Howard University later today to share her thoughts on the election and her campaign.
President Biden also spoke with both Trump and Harris after the results were finalized. In his call with Harris, Biden praised her campaign’s groundbreaking efforts. In his conversation with Trump, Biden congratulated him on his victory, reaffirming his dedication to a smooth transition and inviting Trump to meet at the White House. Biden emphasized the need for unity and expressed hopes for collaboration to help bridge divides across the nation. White House staff are coordinating the details for an in-person meeting between the two leaders in the coming days.
The election marked a series of victories for Trump, as he secured wins in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, and a majority of Nebraska’s electoral votes, accumulating over 291 electoral votes to Harris’s 222. Harris’s loss means the U.S. will not see its first elected female president or first Black woman president this term, a historical milestone that supporters were hoping she would achieve. Trump’s victory also marks his second, nonconsecutive term as president, following his initial tenure from 2017 to 2021.
President Biden is scheduled to address the nation tomorrow, where he will discuss the election results and outline the next steps in the transition. The speech will cover his vision for unifying the country during the transition period and the importance of democracy, as the Biden administration prepares to hand over the reins to Trump’s team. This election’s outcome reaffirms a shift in U.S. politics, setting a historic precedent with Trump’s return to office and Harris’s concession.
