This is the moment Kamala Harris’ team announced they would not concede on election night after it became clear that Donald Trump was the winner.
Cedric Richmond, Harris’ campaign co-chairman, made the announcement at her alma mater shortly after midnight, when it became clear that Harris would not become the first woman president.
‘Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in the promise of America,” the former congressman told the crowd that had gathered to celebrate Harris’ victory.
‘We still have votes to count, we still have states that have not yet been called. We will continue to fight through the night to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken, so that you don’t hear from the vice president tonight.
“But you will hear from her tomorrow, she will be back here tomorrow to address the HBCU family, her fans and the nation.”
Cedric Richmond, Harris’ campaign co-chairman, made the announcement at her alma mater shortly after midnight, when it became clear that Harris would not become the first woman president.
Hillary Clinton also waited until the next day to concede when she lost the 2016 election to Trump.
Trump won a landslide victory, becoming the first president in more than 130 years – and only the second in history – to win a second non-consecutive term.
Harris has yet to deliver a concession speech as of 6 a.m. EST.
The crucial moment came when North Carolina was called by Trump at 11:19 pm (ET).
His defeat of Harris marks a notable comeback for a twice-impeached president, who left office in 2021 following allegations that he had incited an assault on the U.S. Capitol building and who was convicted earlier this year on multiple charges of business fraud. .
Trump won a landslide victory, becoming the first president in more than 130 years – and only the second in history – to win a second non-consecutive term. Harris party at his alma mater pictured above
Audience members watch the election results while awaiting the arrival of Democratic presidential candidate and United States Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump, 78, will also become the oldest president ever inaugurated, surpassing President Joe Biden’s record by five months.
He achieved his remarkable victory on a night reminiscent of 2016, sweeping the key states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press called Wisconsin at 5:34 a.m. ET Wednesday and the race just three minutes later.
The race initially appeared close as Americans went to the polls Tuesday after a tense months-long buildup that peaked when Joe Biden abandoned his quest for a second term and the Democratic Party brought Vice President Harris to the forefront.
But as night fell, Trump began to take advantage thanks to support from solidly Republican states, including Florida, Texas and Alabama.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris participates in a phone bank at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, on November 5, 2024.
Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters at the end of a campaign rally on November 5.
Democratic candidate Harris’s support came from her party’s strongholds on the East and West coasts in states such as New York, Delaware and California.
One notable difference between this year’s election night and 2020 is that fewer Democratic-leaning voters used mail-in ballots, while states have been quicker to process those votes.
Four years ago, that meant Trump’s votes were often counted first when his supporters voted in person, before Biden’s votes were added later and helped the incumbent president achieve a late victory.
This year, however, the number of voters on both sides using mail-in ballots is more even, meaning Harris’ campaign can’t count on large batches of outstanding votes to get over the line in key battleground states. battlefield.
That led many election observers and political experts in the United States to predict a Trump victory, as early vote counts suggested a favorable outcome in several swing states, leaving Kamala supporters at election watch parties with a long night