After skipping out on speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her concession speech at Howard University on Wednesday afternoon.
The sitting vice president, thrown into the race without a primary some 100 days before the election after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal, told supporters not to despair but continue “the fight that fueled this campaign.”
By the time Harris addressed her supporters from her alma mater, the bleachers were nearly empty.
While some states remain to be called, Harris fell to former president and now president-elect Donald Trump by what will surely be a larger electoral college margin than Hillary Clinton in 2016. Harris appears unlikely to carry a single swing state after crushing defeats in the Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
“Let me say my heart is full today. My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve,” Harris told the crowd. “The outcome of this election was not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
Before Harris delivered her concession speech, she called Trump to concede the election. Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung released a statement after the call. “President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone earlier today where she congratulated him on his historic victory,” the statement read. “President Trump acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country.”
Biden has also called Trump to congratulate the president-elect on his victory. Biden’s predecessor and successor, Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to return to the White House after spending four years out of power. Come January, Harris will be the one to certify the results.