Vice President Kamala Harris shares emotional speech following results of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

After an extremely close race, Vice President Kamala Harris has formally conceded to President-elect Donald J. Trump in the 2024 U.S Presidential Election.

The Associated Press called the election Wednesday morning after Trump succeeded in gaining the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. With wins in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Harris was left with only 233 electoral college votes.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday at Howard University, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered an emotional 12-minute speech following her defeat in this year’s election in which she defended her campaign and all it stands for.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.” VP Harris said.

The Democratic candidate ran her 107-day campaign after President Biden dropped out of the race following a catastrophic debate performance in June.

While she struggled to separate herself from Biden’s party in such a short time, she did manage to gain many young female supporters.

Throughout her short-lived campaign, the former California senator highlighted her ambition to fight for various causes, especially those catered towards women’s reproductive health and gun violence.

Harris also had a message to all of the young people in America during her speech. She encouraged listeners to never give up and reminded them of their power.

“To the young people watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it is going to be okay.” Harris continues, “On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing: sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

During Harris’ speech at her alma mater, she took the time to thank Joe Biden and her running mate Tim Walz for their “faith and support.”

Walz, as well as many in the front of the audience, can be seen teary-eyed during the concession speech.

Harris urged her supporters to not act out in emotion and instead to “roll up our sleeves” in response to the election results.

She continued, “Don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.”

Harris would have become the first black & South-Asian American female president of the United States. However, this was not a driving factor in her campaign as she did not center it around her race. In an interview with CNN, she said, “I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender.”

With the country reluctant to elect its first female president, Harris shares that she contacted President-elect Trump following his victory.

“I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory,” Harris said. “I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”

Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2025.

Natalee Bravo is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email nbb5612@psu.edu.