Harris had planned to address an audience like this at Howard on election night and had hoped she would have a more upbeat message to deliver
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told supporters gathered at Howard University that she had lost her race against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who is now empowered by a sweeping mandate.
Harris has confirmed that she also made a phone call to Trump in her concession speech at Howard University, in which Harris discussed a peaceful transfer of power.
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The race was called by the Associated Press around 5:30 a.m. ET, when Trump received more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Harris spent election night in Washington, D.C. at Howard University, a historically Black institution, where Harris graduated from in 1986. Her supporters gathered together outside and watched as election results came in live on television. As Trump’s impending victory became clearer, the mood shifted with some supporters crying as they left, ABC News reported.
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Harris acknowledges loss in concession speech
Harris told supporters gathered at Howard University that she had lost her race against Trump, conceding to the Republican president who is now empowered by a sweeping mandate.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said. “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.”
Harris had planned to address an audience like this at Howard on election night and had hoped she would have a more upbeat message to deliver. Instead, when Harris took the stage at her alma mater, she looked out at a sea of America flags and notably forlorn faces. She was flanked by 30 American flags.
Kamala Harris to speak at Howard University 4 p.m.
After Trump won Georgia, Senior Democratic Party aide Cedric Richmond addressed the crowd at the election night watch party in a video broadcasted by CNBC. He thanked supporters for being at the event and the Harris campaign for all they’ve done.
“We still have votes to count, we still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken, so you won’t hear from the vice president tonight. But you will hear from her tomorrow.”
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He said Harris would be back at the university on Wednesday to address “not only the (Howard University) family, not only to address her supporters, but to address the nation.”
Harris is expected to speak at 4 p.m. ET, NBC News reported.
“I hate y’all bad”: Kamala Harris supporters react to loss
Actress Christina Applegate posted on social media after Harris’ loss, asking people to unfollow her if they “voted against female rights” and “against disability rights.” Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021.
“Unfollow me because what you did is unreal. Don’t want followers like this,” she said in a post on X on Wednesday morning.
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Other celebrities who joined Applegate in their disappointment were actress Lili Reinhart and actress Sophia Bush, who said she was “heartbroken.”
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Rapper Cardi B, who spoke at a rally for Harris in Wisconsin last week, shared her feelings about Harris’ loss on Instagram, per Page Six.
“I hate y’all bad,” she said in an Instagram story, the publication reported.
Why Kamala Harris lost, according to a recent poll
A poll by the Associated Press that surveyed 120,000 voters across the United States has revealed more details about Harris’ loss.
It turns out that the economy and immigration laws were key factors that played a role in how Americans voted in this year’s election. Harris’ priorities, abortion and the future of democracy, were not enough to sway voters, per AP.
“Anxiety about inflation was high nationally, and voters broadly believed that Trump would be better equipped than Harris to handle the economy and jobs,” the publication explained.
Three in 10 voters described their financial situation as “falling behind,” which was an increase from the 2020 election (when it was two in 10). The cost of groceries were a concern for nine in 10 voters, and eight in 10 were worried about health care, housing and gas costs.
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Although the majority of Black and Latino voters supported Harris, “they were more focused on the economy” in 2024, which meant Trump gained “a small but significant share” of them.
Voters were not fazed by Trump’s “flaws” and many still chose to support him even though six out 10 didn’t believe he was honest or trustworthy. The majority said he didn’t have the moral character to be president, the poll by AP found, yet one in 10 of those people supported him.
Part of the reason why Harris didn’t pull out a win summed up by political publication Politico on Wednesday morning was attributed to her approach.
“Harris chose not to provide extensive explanation, or sometimes any rationale at all, for the gaping chasm between many of her past policy positions on everything from hydraulic fracturing (a huge issue in Pennsylvania) and clean car mandates (a big deal in Michigan) to providing citizenship to unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children,” per the publication.
“She led with a ‘my principles haven’t changed’ approach that would have to serve as a catch-all.”
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The “less is more” tactic was a “missed opportunity,” Politico said.
Kamala Harris will certify Donald Trump’s win
As the head of the Senate, Harris will be the one to certify Trump’s win on Jan. 6, 2025, when Congress counts the electoral votes.
The vice president presides over the count and announces the results, according to the The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Harris, as the President of the Senate, will declare the next president and vice president of the United States.
Inauguration day is set for Jan. 20, 2025 at noon, when the president and vice president take their oaths, per NARA.
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