“We must accept the result of the election,” declared Democratic candidate Kamala Harris during a final political speech with a combative tone, thus conceding victory to her Republican rival, Donald Trump.
“If I concede this election, I do not concede the fight which was behind this campaign”, launched Mme Harris faced crying supporters whom she had, on multiple occasions, long urged to “continue the fight”.
After canceling her speech scheduled for Tuesday, election night, the vice-president finally addressed Americans Wednesday afternoon from Howard University in Washington. The peaceful transfer of power and the idea of “never giving up” were at the heart of the speech of the woman who, until early Wednesday morning, dreamed of being the first president of the United States.
“We will help [Donald Trump] and his team in the transition and we will commit to a peaceful transfer of power,” she said, adding that she called her rival earlier in the day to congratulate him.
“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. This principle, more than any other, distinguishes us from a monarchy or a tyranny,” added the vice-president in reference to the 2020 election, in which Mr. Trump never admitted his defeat and which led to a transfer of power, on January 6, 2021, that was anything but peaceful.
“We owe our loyalty not to a party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States, to our conscience and to our God,” she chanted, citing her reasons for “being present Today “.
“A fight I will never give up”
“To all those watching, do not despair. This is not the time to give up, it is the time to roll up our sleeves,” summarized the Democrat.
“I know a lot of people feel like we are entering a dark time. But for all of our sakes, I hope that’s not the case,” she said. “And if so, let’s fill the sky […] of the light of optimism, faith, truth and service,” said Mr.me Harris, all smiles.
“The result of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” she admitted, affirming “to be proud of the race that the “we carried it out, and in the way we carried it out”.
“I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations. A future where women have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies without their government telling them what to do,” argued Kamala Harris to the applause of her supporters.
“We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and streets from gun violence,” she added, repeating the guidelines of her blitzkrieg.
“And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that no matter who we are or where we start, there are certain fundamental rights and freedoms which must be respected and defended,” she said to prepare the Democratic troops for the next electoral round.
The current vice-president then asked her supporters to continue this fight in several spheres of their lives, such as polling stations, courts, public spaces, but also “in the way we live our lives”. A fight that “is always worth it,” she assured.
It was also time for thanks for Kamala Harris, who, in addition to thanking her family, the current president, Joe Biden, and his running mate, Tim Walz, lingered to thank the volunteers of the Democratic Party and the workers of the election. But it was especially her supporters that she thanked, opening and closing her speech by thanking the audience.
Trump congratulated by Democrats
Just like his vice-president, Joe Biden “congratulated” Donald Trump on his victory. He also “invited” him to the White House, his team said Wednesday. The 81-year-old Democratic leader will “address the nation” on Thursday to discuss the election results and the transition period.
The influential former President Barack Obama also congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday on his victory in the US presidential election. “This is obviously not the outcome we were hoping for,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “But living in a democracy means recognizing that our point of view will not always prevail. »
With Agence France-Presse
