Kamala Harris tells supporters ‘it’s going to be OK’ after election loss, casts herself as Democratic leader in defiant concession speech

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris yet conceded her blowout predetermination nonaccomplishment to erstwhile President Donald Trump Wednesday — consoling supporters and saying she would “never springiness up nan fight” contempt accepting nan outcome.

“To nan young group who are watching, it is OK to consciousness sad and disappointed, but please cognize it’s going to beryllium OK,” Harris, 60, said successful precocious day remarks connected nan field of Howard University, her alma mater — hours aft calling Trump, 78, to connection congratulations.

“On nan campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s nan thing: Sometimes nan conflict takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

“The important point is, don’t ever springiness up,” nan veep went on. “Don’t ever extremity trying to make nan world a amended place. You person powerfulness and don’t you ever perceive erstwhile anyone tells you thing is intolerable because it has ne'er been done before.”

Harris, who would person been nan first female president and first female of colour to beryllium commandant successful chief, mislaid aliases was trailing Trump successful each 7 captious plaything states Wednesday evening and was connected way to beryllium nan first Democratic nominee suffer nan celebrated ballot successful 20 years — pinch her nonaccomplishment and legislature defeats raising uncertainty astir who will lead nan statement for nan adjacent 4 years.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who group successful mobility Harris’ 107-day grounded candidacy by helping unit President Biden to relinquish nan Democratic information successful July, was among those who attended Harris’ 11-minute concession speech.

The defeated Harris recycled galore well-worn stump lines arsenic Biden, 81, remained retired of nationalist position for nan 2nd time successful a row.

“I will ne'er springiness up nan conflict for a early wherever Americans tin prosecute their dreams, ambitions and aspirations, wherever nan women of America person nan state to make decisions astir their ain assemblage and not person their authorities telling them what to do,” nan vice president said.

“We will ne'er springiness up nan conflict to protect our schools and our streets from weapon violence,” she declared.

“Do not despair. This is not a clip to propulsion up our hands. This is simply a clip to rotation up our sleeves.”

The crowd booed arsenic Harris told them that “earlier today, I said pinch President-elect Trump and congratulated him connected his victory,” but past shouted erstwhile she added: “I besides told him that we will thief him and his squad pinch their transition, and that we will prosecute successful a serene transportation of power.”

“A basal rule of American populist is that erstwhile we suffer an election, we judge nan results. That principle, arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate other, distinguishes populist from monarchy aliases tyranny. And anyone who seeks nan nationalist spot must grant it,” she said, moving successful an implicit excavation astatine Trump’s behaviour aft losing nan 2020 predetermination to Biden.

“At nan aforesaid time, successful our nation, we beryllium loyalty, not to a president aliases a party, but to nan Constitution of nan United States, and and loyalty to our conscience and to our God, my allegiance to each 3 is why I americium present to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede nan conflict that fueled this campaign,” she said.

“And we will proceed to costs this conflict successful nan voting booth, successful nan courts and successful nan nationalist square, and we will besides costs it successful quieter ways: In really we unrecorded our lives, by treating 1 different pinch kindness and respect, by looking successful nan look of a alien and seeing a neighbor, by ever utilizing our spot to assistance group up to conflict for nan dignity that each group deserve.”

Hours earlier, Harris had declined to reside thousands of shocked supporters who had gathered for an Election Night watch statement astatine nan aforesaid venue aft it became clear that Trump was connected people to go nan 47th president.

“I’ll adjacent pinch this,” Harris said. “There’s an adage a historiographer erstwhile called a rule of history, existent of each nine crossed nan ages. The adage is: Only erstwhile it is acheronian capable tin you spot nan stars.”

“I cognize galore group consciousness for illustration we are entering a acheronian time, but for nan use of america all, I dream that is not nan case. But here’s nan thing, America, if it is, fto america capable nan entity pinch nan ray of a brilliant, brilliant, cardinal of stars — nan ray of optimism, of faith, of truth and service,” she concluded.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump’s run released a connection praising Harris aft she called to concede.

Trump “acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity passim nan campaign, and some leaders agreed connected nan value of unifying nan country,” spokesperson Steven Cheung said.

Trump’s triumph — coupled pinch Republicans retaking nan Senate and seeming poised to clasp nan House — puts successful mobility a resumption of his populist agenda, including tougher policies connected forbidden migration and waste and acquisition disputes, positive plans to trim taxes connected tips, overtime and Social Security benefits.

The billionaire developer-turned-politician has vowed to decorativeness disconnected precocious inflation, allowing for little liking rates, while pulling backmost connected foreign-focused spending pinch his “America first” mantra — including by quickly negotiating an extremity to nan Russia-Ukraine war.

A victorious Trump addressed a rapturous ceremony successful West Palm Beach, Fla., successful nan wee hours of Wednesday aft Fox News became nan first awesome outlet to task his victory.

“There’s ne'er been thing for illustration this successful this country, and possibly beyond,” nan Republican nominee declared.

“We’re going to thief our state heal,” Trump added, “and it needs thief very badly. We’re going to hole our borders … hole everything astir our country.”