Watch Live: Harris gives concession speech after loss to Donald Trump in 2024 presidential election
Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris is speaking Wednesday afternoon from Howard University in Washington, D.C., after she was defeated by former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House.
"The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what I fought for," she told her supporters, adding that "the light of America's promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting."
CBS News projected Wednesday that Harris had secured 222 electoral votes, short of the 291 amassed by Trump, her Republican opponent. Trump surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency just after 5:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, after locking up the battleground states of Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The vice president called Trump to congratulate him on his win and discussed the "importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans," a senior aide to Harris said. The vice president, in her role as president of the Senate, will preside over Congress' counting of electoral votes during a joint session on Jan. 6 that will reaffirm Trump's victory.
Steven Cheung, spokesman for the Trump campaign, said that during the call, the president-elect "acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country."
President Biden also spoke with Harris by phone and congratulated her on a "historic campaign," the White House said. He also talked to Trump and "expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together."
Harris was expected to address supporters from Howard, the historically Black college where she graduated in 1986, on election night, but never made it to her alma mater as the results came rolling in. Instead, campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond sent the assembled crowd home and said Harris would speak on Wednesday.
Election Day on Nov. 5 capped a chaotic and historic presidential election cycle that saw two assassination attempts against Trump and was roiled by Mr. Biden's sudden announcement in July that he would exit the race following a disastrous debate performance in late June.
Harris swiftly announced her own candidacy for the White House, and Democrats quickly coalesced around her as their pick to take on Trump. Her nomination was solidified at the Democratic National Committee in Chicago in August, where Harris made history as the first woman of color to top a major party ticket.
