After Donald Trump President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who won re-election, both did what the current president-elect and his fellow Republicans refused to do in 2020. That means publicly accepting losses and advocating for a peaceful transition of power.
“We accept the choice our country has made,” Biden told Americans in a speech outside the White House Thursday morning.
“I’ve said it many times,” he continued. “You can’t love your country only if you win. “You can’t love your neighbor only if you agree with him.” “No matter who you voted for, what I hope we can do is not see each other as enemies, but as fellow Americans,” he added. “Please lower the temperature.”
The comments, a call for unity and calm, contrasted sharply with the Trump campaign’s rhetoric in the final stages of the election, including this weekend when Trump said “it would be okay” if journalists were shot. Biden’s speech also differed radically from the near-constant conspiracy theories promoted by Trump and his allies after he lost the 2020 election.
President Biden: "Setbacks are inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable. The American experiment continues. We will be fine. But you have to stay involved. We must keep going." https://t.co/627FiKv7Sz pic.twitter.com/hZoGsFc7yl
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2024
Biden appeared to allude to Trump’s attacks on voting systems Thursday, adding, “We hope we can put to rest any doubts about the integrity of the American election system.” “It’s honest, fair, transparent, trustworthy, and it can either win or make you lose.” Of course, now that Trump has won, Republicans suddenly appear to agree, even though they and their candidates have been sowing doubts about the election system for years, up until election night.
The president also told Americans who voted for Harris that they must keep their faith and continue to fight peacefully for what they believe in. “Degeneration is inevitable,” Biden said. “Giving up is unforgivable.”
“The American experiment continues,” Trump said, adding, “We will be OK, but we must remain engaged.” “We must keep going and, above all, keep the faith.”
Harris struck a similar tone Wednesday during her concession speech at Howard University. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris told the crowd. “But listen to me when I speak. “As long as we never give up and keep fighting, the light of America’s promise will always burn brightly.”
Harris also acknowledged that “people are feeling and experiencing a variety of emotions right now,” but urged her supporters to still accept the election results.
He added, “A basic principle of American democracy is to accept the results if you lose an election.” “This principle, like the others, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny.”
The double speech comes at a moment of widespread concern that American democracy and many civil liberties are hanging in the balance with Trump’s return to power. But because the future is so unknown and even scary for many, here are some post-election remarks from Harris and Biden: It reminded Americans that what leadership looks like – recognizing and respecting the will of the people – and that the future of American democracy remains valuable. peacefully We are fighting for you.
Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
