“Everything will be fine”

Kamala Harris spoke out after the loss the 2024 presidential election.

On Wednesday, November 6, the history-making Democratic candidate, 60, addressed the nation at Howard University in Washington, DC, after 78-year-old Republican Donald Trump surpassed the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure of the White House were required.

“Let me say, my heart is full today,” the vice president told a crowd shortly before 4:30 p.m. local time. “Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of determination. The result of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But listen.” I say, “Hear me when I say: The light of America's promise will always burn bright.”

Harris expressed that she was proud of what her coalition had built in just 107 days of campaigning and thanked her team, her family and the Walzes, who stood emotionally before the crowd.

“Now I know people are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now, I understand that,” she said with a laugh. “But we must accept the results of this election. Today I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition to a peaceful transfer of power.”

In a portion of her speech that appeared to refer to the unrest that followed Trump's defeat in the 2020 election, she said: “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. This principle also applies.” Everyone else distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public's trust must respect it.

She added that her loyalty to the Constitution, her conscience and God is why she stood on that stage and vowed to continue pushing for change.

“While I admit this election, I do not admit the fight that drove this campaign – the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for justice and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation – the ideals that…” “We reflect America at its best,” she said. “This is a fight I will never give up.”

The vice president encouraged students in the crowd, many of whom are devastated by an election for the first time, emphasizing that their defeat was just a setback in their movement.

“For the young people watching, it's OK to be sad and disappointed, but please know that everything will be okay,” she said. “During the election campaign I often said: 'If we fight, we win.' But here's the thing: sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win.

She continued: “I know that many people feel that we are entering a dark time. But for the sake of all of us, I hope that's not the case. But here's the thing: America, if so, then let's fill the sky with the light of a bright, shining billion stars – the light of optimism, faith, truth and service.”

The 2024 presidential election initially appeared to be a close race, with forecasts through November 5 showing Trump and Harris tied, if not nearly tied. In the end, however, Trump — who will now serve a rare non-consecutive second term in the White House after winning in 2016 and losing to President Joe Biden in 2020 — won the popular vote.

Harris began her bid for commander in chief in July after Biden withdrew from the race amid concerns about his performance in the presidential debate against Trump in June. After his exit, Biden, 81, supported Harris.

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“Today I would like to express my full support and support for Kamala as our party’s candidate this year,” he said via X (formerly Twitter) at the time. “Democrats – it’s time to come together and defeat Trump. Let’s do this.”

Harris' campaign was supported by many Republicans, including former Rep. Liz Cheney, who vocally criticized Trump's handling of his 2020 election loss and called him a threat to democracy.

The daughters of former Presidents George W. Bush and Gerald Ford also supported Harris, as did Trump's nephew Fred C. Trump III, his niece Mary Trump and his former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé also supported Harris.