WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden assured the nation in brief remarks from the White House on Thursday that democracy had won despite his party’s resounding election defeats and vowed that his successes will continue.
“I know that for some people, stating the obvious is a winning time. For others, it is a time of loss. Campaigns are competitions between competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. “We accept the country’s decision,” Biden said in just over six minutes to his staff and administration officials gathered in the Rose Garden shortly after 11 a.m. Eastern time.
Former Republican President Donald Trump, now president-elect, won confidently She took on Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential contest on Tuesday, picking up victories in closely watched swing states including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Trump had 295 Electoral College votes as of early Thursday afternoon, compared to Harris’ 226, with 270 needed for victory. He also led in the popular vote.
Republicans also secured a Senate majority, gaining at least 52 seats, while Democrats have 45 seats. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives remained unclear, although a trend toward GOP victory was emerging as ballots were still being counted.
Biden ran against Trump for most of the 2024 presidential campaign but dropped his re-election bid weeks after a disastrous performance in the presidential debate sparked a pressure campaign calling for him to resign.
Biden called Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him and arranged an in-person meeting to discuss the transition to the White House – a step Trump did not take after his loss to Biden in 2020.
“I assured him that I will direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. This is what the American people deserve,” Biden said.
Biden also discussed his phone call Wednesday with Democratic nominee Harris, whom he described as a “partner and public servant.”
“She ran an inspiring campaign and everyone got to see something that I learned to respect so much from an early age: her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod,” Biden said.
The president said he told his team that “together we have changed America for the better.”
“Much of the work we have done is already being felt by the American people, and the vast majority of it will not be felt, but will be felt over the next decade,” Biden said, pointing specifically to the bipartisan infrastructure legislation he signed Law in November 2021.
Harris conceded the race in a phone call with Trump on Wednesday.
In one speech To the somber supporters of her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harris told the crowd that same day, “I understand” about feeling a range of emotions after the result.
“But 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,” Harris said.
After the 2020 presidential election, Trump and his allies challenged the results in dozens of ultimately unsuccessful lawsuits. After his losses in court, Trump and a team of private lawyers continued to dispute the election results and pressure state officials to manipulate voter rolls.
Trump’s repeated denials of his loss – including a speech on January 6, 2021, in which he told his supporters he would never concede – culminated in a violent attack on the US Capitol as Congress met that day to approve the election results confirm.
Last updated on November 7, 2024 at 1:31 p.m
