The News
US Vice President Kamala Harris phoned Donald Trump to concede on Wednesday, hours after the Republican candidate was declared the winner of the US presidential election, a senior Harris aide said.
Harris “called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election,” the aide said. “She discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.”
Harris is scheduled to give a speech at her alma mater, Howard University, this afternoon, where she’s expected to address the election results. Trump declared victory in a speech in the early hours of Wednesday morning; Harris left her Election Night party at Howard without addressing supporters on Tuesday night.
Harris’ concession will cap off a whirlwind campaign that began less than four months ago following President Joe Biden’s decision to not seek reelection. Trump’s victory — which was decisive — immediately led to finger-pointing among Democrats, with many Harris allies blaming her loss on Biden and his late decision to exit the race.
“Joe Biden is the singular reason Kamala Harris and Democrats lost tonight,” one Harris aide told Politico.
Republicans captured both the White House and the Senate in Tuesday’s elections. As of Wednesday afternoon, control of the House of Representatives was still up in the air, though Republicans looked increasingly likely to hold onto the chamber.