Vice President Kamala Harris concedes to Donald Trump
Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Donald Trump after the former president won a second term
WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden vowed on Thursday that he will ensure a peaceful transfer of power after President-elect Donald Trump’s resounding election victory, telling his supporters that “a defeat does not mean we are defeated.”
“Assets are inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable,” Biden said in a brief speech from the White House Rose Garden. “We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character – as my dad would say – is how quickly we get back up.”
Biden, two days after his vice president, Kamala Harris, lost the election to Trump, made it clear to Americans that he accepts the result. Trump famously refused to accept his loss to Biden four years ago.
“I know for some people it’s a time of victory — to state the obvious,” Biden said. “For others, it’s a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made. I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win.”
He added: “On January 20, we will have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.”
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president in 78 days. For the past two years, Biden has done just that warned that a second Trump presidency would threaten American democracy. But in his speech, he did not address that concern, instead trying to assuage Democrats’ concerns.
“We lost this fight,” Biden said of the 2024 election results. “The America of your dreams is calling you to rise again. It’s the story of America for over 240 years and counting. It’s a story for all of us, not just some of us. The American experiment remains. We go to be OK, but we have to stay committed, and above all we have to keep the faith.”
Biden, 81, did not take questions from reporters after his address, which lasted about seven minutes. After Trump’s win, Biden has faced criticism from fellow Democrats for initially deciding to seek re-election despite concerns about his age, then dropping out with less than four months to go before Election Day.
Biden urged Americans to “turn the temperature down” now that the election is over, saying he hopes the 2024 election “can put to rest the question of the integrity of the American electoral system.”
“It’s honest, it’s fair, and it’s transparent, and it’s trustworthy — win or lose,” Biden said.
In a stunning political comeback, Trump secured a sweeping victory, winning or holding comfortable leads in all seven swing states, making big gains across the country — including with Latinos and black men — and taking at least 295 Electoral College votes. The number will reach 312 if Trump wins Arizona and Nevada, where he is ahead.
Biden hailed his record in the White House over the past nearly four years as a “historic presidency,” pointing to his legislative record that includes historic spending on infrastructure and clean energy production.
“The work we’ve done is already being felt by the American people, and the vast majority of it will be felt in the next 10 days,” Biden said.
During a phone call on Wednesday, Trump accepted an invitation from Biden to meet with the outgoing president at the White House in the near future. During the call, Biden congratulated Trump on his victory, committed to a smooth transition, Biden said.
“I assured him that I am directing my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That is what the American people deserve,” Biden said.
In 2020, Trump did the opposite by pushing baseless allegations of voter fraud to try to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.
Trump has not spoken publicly since his remarks early Wednesday morning from West Palm Beach, Florida. The president-elect has also not signed X or Truth Social since winning back the White House.
Biden initially sought re-election and secured the Democratic nomination during the party’s primaries. But amid mounting pressure from top Democrats, he dropped out of the race weeks after a disastrous debate performance. His move cleared the way for Harris to secure the nomination, but gave her just 107 days to make her case to voters.
In 2020, after Trump lost to Biden, the longstanding tradition of the sitting president hosting the president-elect was not followed. Trump also did not attend Biden’s inauguration and has refused to concede the 2020 election to this day.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is the White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal. Reach Joey Garrison at X @joeygarrison.
