Kamala Harris' Concession Speech

Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty

On November 5, Vice President Kamala Harris was soundly defeated by ex-president and now President-elect Donald Trump. During her concession speech, which was delivered at her alma mater Howard University on Wednesday, Harris took the high road. She didn’t whine about it like a baby hand-waving manchild. She didn’t lie about election rigging and embark on a factless propaganda campaign to bolster the false claim. Harris conceded graciously, reminding voters that they have no choice but to accept the results of a legal an fair election, but also reminding them that hope is not lost.

“We must accept the results of this election. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny,” Harris said in a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to Trump’s “big lie” and the threat it posed to the American electoral process. “And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.”

“At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God,” Harris continued. “My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.”

Understanding how “sad and disappointed” her followers were about her defeat, Harris urged that people “do not despair.”

“I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time,” she said. “For the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case.”

“Sometimes the fight takes a while… That doesn’t mean we won’t win,” she concluded. “The important thing is don’t ever give up.”

You can watch Harris’ full concession speech below.