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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the 2024 presidential election during a speech to dejected supporters on the campus of Howard University late Wednesday afternoon while vowing to keep fighting against a "dark time" for some Americans.
Harris, 60, addressed a subdued crowd at her alma mater's main quad, known as "The Yard," at about 4:25 p.m. — roughly 16 hours after campaign staff announced early Wednesday morning that she would not speak at an election watch party, prompting a mass exodus from the once-bustling event packed with thousands of students and young activists.
"I know many people feel like we're entering a dark time," Harris said. "But for the benefit of us all, I hope that's not the case."
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Harris acknowledged former president turned President-elect Donald Trump, who regained the White House overnight Wednesday in a stunning political comeback, won the election to become the 47th U.S. president, spoiling her own quest to hold the nation's highest office as the first female and woman of color.
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"My heart is full today, full of gratitude," she told several thousand supporters in a concession speech peppered with optimism. "Hear me when I say the light of America's promise will always burn bright."
Harris, whose rise to the Democratic nomination followed President Biden's withdrawal from the race in late July, did not publicly signal her political future on Wednesday as the outgoing vice president, but said Americans "must accept" results of the election. She promised to "never give up" her desire to protect citizens of all backgrounds.
"We will never give up the fight for our democracy, the rule of law, of the rule of justice and the sacred idea that everyone of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, have certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be upheld," Harris said. "We will continue to wage this fight."
Harris said she called President-elect Trump earlier Wednesday to concede the race and work with President Biden to ensure a smooth transition of power.
"She also made clear that she hopes he will be a president for all Americans," Harris' campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, reportedly told staff in an email, adding that the vice president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, would speak directly to all campaign staffers.
"I'll leave you with this: losing is incredibly painful," O'Malley Dillon continued. "It is hard. This will take a long time to process. But the work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump presidency starts now."
Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign communications director, confirmed Harris congratulated the Republican on the "historic" victory, propelling the 78-year-old back to the White House for a second time.
"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," Cheung said in a statement to Newsweek.
Trump's lopsided victory in the race, which had been expected by many observers to be an extremely tight contest, serves as a stunning blow for Democrats and Harris, who declined to speak late Tuesday at the watch party attended primarily by current and former Howard University students. She graduated from the historically black college in 1986, four years after first walking onto grounds of "The Mecca" to follow in the footsteps of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and further cultivate her lifelong interest in law.
While at Howard, Harris majored in political science and economics and served as a freshman student council representative. She also joined the debate team and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha, a prestigious sorority founded at the historically black college in 1908.
Harris characterized the university as "home" in a 2021 Instagram post, recalling her time decades earlier protesting apartheid in South Africa alongside other young political activists and Howard students along the National Mall.
"For me, Howard is home," Harris wrote. "At Howard, you can be a football player and a valedictorian. You can be a budding computer scientist and a poet. You can have a 4.0, intern on Capitol Hill, and still find time to hang out with friends on the weekend."
At Tuesday's watch party, prior to the race being called, many supporters were cautiously optimistic despite returns reflecting Trump's growing lead that never relented.
"We're really proud to support her and the impact that she's made thus far, regardless of the outcome," Howard University junior Ajoi Adams, 20, told Newsweek late Tuesday prior to Trump's win. "It's not over until God says it's over."
Sana-Alyse Muhammad, 23, who graduated from Howard University with a psychology degree last year, said she proudly voted for her fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member.
"I'm overwhelmed with pride," Muhammad told Newsweek late Tuesday steps from the university's main quad as she awaited election returns during Harris' watch party. "I have so much hope and I think we can bring it home."
Muhammad said had been constantly checking news sites for election updates and felt anxious yet hopeful about the prospect of a Howard University graduate like herself capturing the White House.
"We've been reading up on the 'red mirage,'" Muhammad said. "But we just need to give it time for those votes to come in."
Some of Harris' backers at Tuesday's watch party, however, were dismayed that she chose not to speak, despite the bleak outlook as Trump racked up wins across the country, particularly in battleground states.
"I'll say this, it was bad form for Kamala Harris to skip addressing supporters last night at Howard University," Troy Donte Prestwood wrote on X early Wednesday. "Many of us stood for hours eating dry granola & listening to a bad DJ. We knew the results weren't looking good. At least thank your supporters."
Harris closed her remarks Wednesday acknowledging the pain of the lopsided loss.
"To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed," she said. "But please know it is going to be okay. 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 awhile. That doesn't mean we won't win. The important thing is don't ever give up."
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