This is the moment Kamala Harris’ team announced that she would not concede the election on election night after it became clear that Donald Trump was the winner.
Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Harris campaign, made the announcement shortly after midnight at her alma mater, when it became clear that Harris would not become the first female president.
‘Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in the promise of America,” the former congressman told the crowd gathered to celebrate Harris’ victory.
“We still have votes to count, we still have states that haven’t been called yet. We will continue to fight tonight to ensure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken, so that you will not hear from the Vice President again tonight.
‘But you’ll hear from her tomorrow. She will return here tomorrow to address the HBCU family, its supporters and the nation.”
Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Harris campaign, made the announcement shortly after midnight at her alma mater, when it became clear that Harris would not become the first female 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 non-consecutive second term.
Harris is yet to deliver a concession speech at 6 a.m. EST.
The pivotal moment came when North Carolina was called for Trump at 11:19 p.m. (ET).
His defeat by Harris marks a remarkable return for a twice-impeached president, who left office in 2021 over claims he incited an attack on the U.S. Capitol and who was convicted of multiple corporate fraud charges earlier this year. .
Trump won a landslide victory, becoming the first president in more than 130 years – and only the second in history – to win a non-consecutive second term. Harris party at her alma mater pictured above
Spectators watch the election results as they await the arrival of Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris
Trump, 78, will also become the oldest president ever inaugurated, beating President Joe Biden’s record by five months.
He achieved his remarkable victory on a night reminiscent of 2016, capturing the key swing states of North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press called Wisconsin at 5:34 a.m. ET on Wednesday, with the race just three minutes later.
The race initially appeared neck-and-neck as Americans went to the polls on Tuesday after a tense months-long buildup that culminated when Joe Biden abandoned his quest for a second term and the Democratic party brought Vice President Harris to the fore.
But as night fell, Trump began making steady progress thanks to support from solidly red states, including Florida, Texas and Alabama.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris participates in a phone bank at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 2024
Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to supporters at the end of a campaign rally, November 5
Democratic candidate Harris’ 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’s is that fewer voters — who leaned Democratic — used mail-in ballots, while states processed those votes more quickly.
Four years ago, this meant that Trump’s votes were often counted first when his supporters voted in person, before Biden’s votes later piled up and helped the incumbent president to a late victory.
This year, however, the number of voters on both sides using mail-in ballots is more even, meaning the Harris campaign cannot rely on large numbers of outstanding votes to carry her over the line in key battleground states.
That prompted many election observers and political pundits in the United States to predict a Trump victory, as early vote counts suggested a favorable outcome in several swing states, leaving Kamala’s supporters at election-watch parties in for a long night.