Following President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory, some of Vice President Kamala Harris’ supporters expressed frustration that President Joe Biden’s insistence to seek a second term and his reluctance to leave the race until this summer — despite longstanding voter concerns about his age sealed his party’s loss of the White House.
Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in 2020 for the Democratic nomination and endorsed Harris’ campaign, said that the “biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden.” He added, “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”
Also, Thom Reilly, Co-Director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University, noted, “Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Biden for some of these achievements.”
“But in the shorter term, I don’t know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later.”
Thom Reilly
According to Matt Bennett, Executive Vice President at the Democratic-aligned group Third Way, this moment was the most devastating the party has faced in his lifetime.
“Harris was dealt a really bad hand. Some of it was Biden’s making and some maybe not.
“Would Democrats fare better if Biden had stepped back earlier? I don’t know if we can say for certain, but it’s a question we’ll be asking ourselves for some time.”
Matt Bennett
Aside from Biden, several Democratic advisers in battleground states told a news agency that Harris simply could not separate herself from the Biden administration on the economy, immigration and “an overwhelming appetite for change,” in the words of one aide.
Other advisers said that too much reliance was placed on the messaging surrounding abortion rights and an intense focus on celebrities in the final weeks of the campaign.
Harris Delivers Concession Speech
Meanwhile, Harris delivered her concession speech in which she attempted to focus on the future work Democrats need to do. “While I concede this election. I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said. “I will never give up a fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams ambitions and aspirations,” she said.
America, she added, “will never give up the fight for our democracy.”
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for.
“But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
Kamala Harris
Harris urged her supporters gathered at Howard University to accept the results of this election and touted how she would help Trump with his transition.
Harris specifically called out the young people she sought to organize.
“Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place.
“This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
Kamala Harris
Shortly after Harris’ concession speech, a series of Democratic lawmakers issued their first statements in response to the election results and promised to ensure a “peaceful” transition for the incoming Republican administration.
Later, Biden, in a White House-issued statement, praised Harris as “a tremendous partner and public servant full of integrity, courage, and character.” It was Biden’s first public comment in the aftermath of Trump’s victory.
The President also noted that Harris entered the campaign under “extraordinary circumstances,” a nod to his dropping out of the race 108 days before Election Day amid growing pressure from within his party after his cataclysmic debate performance against Trump.
Biden added that Harris “stepped up and led a historic campaign that embodied what’s possible when guided by a strong moral compass and a clear vision for a nation that is more free, more just, and full of more opportunities for all Americans.”
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