Harris says the nation must accept the election results while urging supporters to continue the fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing intense opposition from American voters. Kamala Harris lost the presidential election Donald Trump on Wednesday and urged his supporters to continue fighting for their vision for the country.

The Democratic vice president said the fight will continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”

“Sometimes the fight takes a while,” she said at Howard University, her alma mater, where she hoped to give a victory speech after the election. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

Decisive defeat for Harris dashed hopes that she could salvage Democrats’ chances after President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts stalled and she replaced him at the top of the ticket.

She got involved every battlefield state Trump, a Republican whom she called an existential threat to the country’s founding institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three White House campaigns – even after two impeachments, criminal charges and his attempt to overturn his previous election defeat.

Despite her harsh warnings about Trump, Harris was optimistic Wednesday.

“It’s okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know that everything will be okay,” she told her supporters as some wiped tears from their eyes.

Biden released a statement praising Harris after her speech, saying, “She will continue to fight with purpose, determination and joy. She will continue to be a champion for all Americans. Above all, she will continue to be the leader our children will look up to for generations to come as she makes her mark on America’s future.”

Harris planned to give her concession speech Wednesday afternoon, her office said. (CNN)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, was in public with his family. So were Representatives Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House, and Barbara Lee, both from Harris’ home state of California.

Before her speech, Harris called Trump to congratulate him on his victory. She told the crowd that “we will commit to a peaceful transition of power,” referring to Trump’s reluctance to do the same four years ago.

Some in attendance expressed disappointment that Harris failed to make history as the nation’s first black female president. Harris could also become the first US president of South Asian descent.

Gregory Pate, 38, said he appreciated Harris’ words that she was “committed to the fight and doesn’t see this as a final defeat, but just another hurdle that we have to go through as black people.”

“I think it was perfect. I think it was timely and it was the message I came to hear,” said Pate, of Fairfax, Virginia.

Jay Evans of Greenbelt, Maryland, said after Harris’ speech that he dreams of what could have been.

“We’re kind of sad because listening to her speak, she could have been a wonderful person to unite the country and put us on a better path,” Evans said.

After Trump lost to Biden, he ordered his supporters to march on the US Capitol, which led to violent uprising which interrupted the ceremonial certification of the election results.

Harris is now expected to oversee the same certification process to cement Trump’s victory as voters shrug off concerns about the future of American democracy and return the former Republican president to the White House.

Biden plans to announce election results on Thursday. The White House said it spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday and invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.

David Plouffe, Harris’ top adviser, said the campaign staff “left everything on the field for their country.”

“We dug a deep hole, but not enough,” he said. “A huge loss.”

Harris became the Democratic nominee after Biden, who was already struggling to convince voters that he could serve as president until he was 86, failed in his debate with Trump on June 27.

He dropped out of the race July 21 and supported her vice president, who quickly united the Democratic Party around his candidacy.

It was a remarkable twist of fate for Harris. Four years ago, her own presidential campaign broke out and exposed the political limitations of the man once called “female Barack Obama.” Even though Biden selected Harris as his running mate, she has languished in the role since taking office as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

Some Democrats began to write her off as they contemplated the party’s future after Biden. But Harris found new purpose after The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. in 2022 and has become a leading advocate for abortion rights in the White House.

Harris has also made a more concerted effort to reach out to local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, forging connections that could help her in the future. The moment came sooner than she expected, and she was thrown into the presidential race after Biden pulled out just a month before the Democratic National Convention.

Harris instantly reset the competition conditions with Trump. She was 18 years younger and a former prosecutor in the trial against the first major presidential candidate to be convicted of crimes. Her candidacy energizes Democrats who feared they were destined for defeat with Biden leading the field.

But she also faced enormous difficulties from the very beginning. She inherited Biden’s politics with just 107 days left in the election and faces a restive electorate hungry for change.

Although Harris proposed a “new way forward,” she struggled differentiate yourself meaningfully from an unpopular incumbent. She also had limited time to introduce herself to skeptical voters who never voted for her in the presidential primary.

Democrats now face the prospect of picking up the pieces during a second Trump presidency, and it’s unclear what role Harris will play in her party’s future.

“The work of protecting America from the consequences of a Trump presidency begins now,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’ campaign chairwoman, wrote in a letter to the campaign. “I know that the Vice President is not done with this fight, and I know that the same people in this letter will also be leaders in this collective mission.”