Kamala Harris’s Full Election Concession Speech – NBC New York

Vice President Kamala Harris formally acknowledged that the 2024 presidential election belongs to Donald Trump in a speech Wednesday afternoon. The full text of the speech she gave at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, DC, is below.

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So let me say that my heart is full today. My heart is full today. Full of gratitude for the trust placed in me, full of love for our country and full of determination.

The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we will never give up. up and as long as we keep fighting.

To my beloved Doug and our family: I love you very much. To President Biden and Dr. Biden: thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know you will continue to serve our country. And I thank my incredible team, the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, the election officials and local election officials. I thank you all.

Look, I’m so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it and the way we ran it. Throughout the one hundred and seven days of this campaign, we worked intentionally to build community and coalitions. Bringing together people of all walks of life and backgrounds, united by love of country, passion and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did this, recognizing that we all have much more in common than what divides us.

I now know that people are feeling and going through a range of emotions right now. I understand. But we must accept the results of these elections. Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we would help him and his team make the transition and work towards a peaceful transfer of power.

A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. This principle, like any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny, and anyone who seeks the public trust must respect it.

At the same time, in our country, we owe allegiance not to the president or the party, but to the Constitution of the United States, as well as to our conscience and our God. My loyalty to all three is why I am here to say that while I acknowledge this election, I do not acknowledge the struggles that fueled this campaign. Fighting for freedom, opportunity, justice and dignity for all people. Fighting for the ideals that are at the core of our nation, ideals that reflect America at its best. This is a fight I will never give up.

I will never give up fighting for a future in which Americans can achieve their dreams, ambitions and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies without the government telling them what to do.

We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. 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 each of us, no matter who we are or where we come from, has certain fundamental rights and entitlements. freedoms that must be respected and supported.

And we will continue to fight this fight in the voting booths, in the courts and in the public squares. And we will also do this in a quieter way. In the way we live our lives, treating each other with kindness and respect. Looking into the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor. Always using your strength to lift people up. Fight for the dignity that all people deserve. Fighting for our freedom will take hard work, but as I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work, hard work can be joyful, and fighting for our country is always worth it. It’s always worth it.

It’s normal for young people watching to feel sad and disappointed, but please know that everything will be okay. I’ve often said about the campaign: when we fight, we win. But here’s the thing. Here’s the thing. Sometimes the fight takes a while. This doesn’t mean we won’t win. This doesn’t mean we won’t win.

The main thing is to never give up. Never give up, never stop trying to make the world a better place. You have the power. You have power and you never listen when someone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the ability to do extraordinary good in the world, so to everyone watching: don’t despair.

Now is not the time to give up. It’s time to roll up your sleeves. This is a time to organize, mobilize and continue to work for freedom and justice and the future we all know we can build together.

Many of you know that I started out as a prosecutor, and throughout my career I have seen people at the worst times in their lives. People who have suffered great harm and great pain, but still found the strength, courage and determination to stand up, stand up, fight for justice, fight for themselves, fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination become our responsibility.

And I’ll end with this. There is a saying that a historian once called a law of history that has been true for every society throughout the ages. The proverb says: only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel that we are entering dark times, but I hope that is not the case.

But here’s the thing. America, if there is one, let’s fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars. A light of optimism, faith, truth and service. And may this work help us, even in the face of setbacks, move toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.

I thank you all. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America. Thanks everyone.

Here’s the latest voting demographic breakdown from exit polls conducted by NBC News along with other news organizations across the country.