The Democrat candidate was defeated by Donald Trump and has addressed her supporters for the first time
Kamala Harris has addressed her supporters after being defeated by Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election.
The Democrat candidate, 60, had hoped to become the first female leader of the nation after taking over from Joe Biden in July, but her opponent managed to triumph after winning over key swing states such as North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
Trump didn’t hang about when it come to claiming his victory, and took to the stage at his campaign’s watch party in West Palm Beach after taking the lead in a series of strongholds across the US.
The Vice President addressed her supporters on Wednesday evening (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The businessman gave himself a pat on the back for achieving the ‘greatest’ ever political comeback before vowing to help the country ‘heal’ as he takes up office for a second time as the 47th president.
The jubilant businessman, 78, said his gig in the White House is the ‘most important job in the world’ and explained his government will be ran on the motto: “Promises made, promises kept.”
Trump has made plenty of big promises about what will unfold over the next four years, including revisiting his idea to erect a wall along the US’ border with Mexico.
While he smugly basked in the glory of his victory, Harris, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.
The Vice President has now spoken publicly to concede defeat, after phoning president-elect Trump earlier in the day, speaking outside of her alma meter Howard University, Washington DC.
Kamala Harris lost the Presidential race to Trump on Wednesday morning (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Addressing the crowd, a defeated Harris told her supporters to ‘never give up’, adding that she was ‘full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve’.
She then issued thanks to her family: “To my beloved Doug and our family – I love you so very much,” before also thanking the current President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden, for their ‘faith and support’.
Harris turned her attention to her team, saying: “I know your service to our nation will continue.
“And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and the local election officials – I thank you, I thank you all.”
“Sometimes the fight takes awhile. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up.” Vice Pres. Kamala Harris sent a message “to the young people who are watching” her concession speech. trib.al/T1IwEuO
The 60-year-old confirmed that she called the President elect today too, explaining: “I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition, and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,
“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results.
“That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from tyranny.”
Harris issued a message of hope to Demorcrats (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Conceding the election, she said she will not ‘concede the fight’, adding: “The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. All fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best.
“That is a fight I will never give up.”
She issued a message to young people, saying that things will be ‘okay’, signing off by saying: “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
Kamala Harris adds: “I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case.
“But if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars [sic], the light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and of service.”
Harris was supposed to make an appearance at Howard University in Washington DC, which is where she studied as an undergraduate, until her rival began to earn a huge chunk of the votes.
However, it was announced shortly after midnight that she would no longer be addressing her supporters, even though her campaign staff pointed our there were still ‘votes to count’.
Throughout the day, the former prosecutor is believed to have stayed out of the spotlight while she was working on her concession speech.
More to follow.
Featured Image Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Rebecca Droke /AFP via Getty Images
Topics: US News, Politics, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump
Olivia Burke
Donald Trump wins 2024 US presidential election
The election could not be called going into polling day
The 2024 US presidential election has a winner, with Donald Trump claiming the keys to the Oval Office following a nail-biting campaign for both Republicans and Democrats.
It is projected he has won the swing state of Wisconsin and with that, he is now projected to have won the presidency.
Heading into polling day (5 November), nobody could call a winner with the final polls saying that the result could have gone either way with both Kamala Harris and Trump within the margins of error in the key swing states needed to win the race for the White House.
But as election night went on, it became pretty clear pretty soon that the former US president would be taking up the position once again.
Trump actually declared victory himself before it was officially called, telling supporters at his campaign’s watch party in Florida it had been the ‘greatest ever political movement’.
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The 47th president of the United States (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The former 45th and now 47th US president said it’s going to be the ‘golden age’ for America while also talking about Elon Musk being a ‘new star’ and promising Americans to ‘help our country heal’.
Joined on stage by JD Vance, Dana White, his wife Melania Trump, family and campaign staff, the Republican said he’s excited to ‘make America great again’.
“We have taken back control of the Senate,” he said. “Wow, that’s good.”
Trump called being president the ‘most important job in the world’ as he said he’ll run his government on the motto: “Promises made, promises kept.”
Our prime minister, Keir Starmer, congratulated Trump on the ‘historic election victory’ as he said he looks ‘forward to working with him in the years ahead’.
“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise,” he added.
“From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”
Millions cast their vote for this year’s 2024 presidential election (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Leading US polling forecaster, Nate Silver, published his final prediction heading into polling day, and out of 80,000 simulations run by him and his team, Harris won 40,012.
Both camps had been confident, with Trump’s team more vocal in the final week of campaigning while Harris’ team grew more and more optimistic as momentum seemed to grow ahead of the time to cast millions of ballots across the US.
Harris spent the final night of the campaign in Pennsylvania, a state both candidates desperately wanted to win in order to secure the presidency but was ultimately won by Trump.
But after voting closed, exit polls were released and results were verified, it was the Republican’s team that popped champagne corks as the final result looked more and more certain.
Featured Image Credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / Getty /Chip Somodevilla / Getty
Topics: US News, Politics, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris
Tom Earnshaw
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump key election issues as millions vote in 2024 presidential election
There is a lot at stake in the 2024 US presidential election
The battle for the White House is nearing its end, with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump holding their breath as Americans go to the polls in the 2024 US presidential election.
So much is at stake, both domestically and internationally, and the Democratic and Republican candidates vary significantly in their policies and takes on voting issues close to the electorate’s heart.
Harris will be hoping she has done enough in the swing states to pip Trump to the magical 270 electoral votes, while Trump has said it is now or never if he is to return to Washington, as the former reality TV star saying he likely won’t be standing again.
And while the tag lines, rhetoric, and social media play a huge part in deciding the minds of many, those unsure can check out what each candidate is offering below.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on economic policy
Harris says she is going to prioritise bringing down the food bills for Americans, which she will do with a ban on inflating prices on groceries due to a lack of competition.
She also said she will reduce the costs associated with running a house, such as helping first-time buyers and raising the minimum wage.
On taxation, Harris said she will up tax rates on big businesses as well as high earners earning $400,000 a year. That, coincidentally, includes the president themselves. She also wants to increase capital gains tax.
She’s also said she will expand child tax credits to help families struggling to survive.
Meanwhile, Trump says he will ‘end inflation’ and make ‘America affordable again’, hinting that extracting more oil will help on this front.
The former president said he will also bring about lower interest rates, despite the POTUS not setting them or controlling them.
Trump says he will up taxes on imports while cutting taxes worth trillions of dollars, all while deporting undocumented immigrants.
Justifying the tax cuts, he said it will be paid for through growth and the import tax.
Kamala Harris wants to be the next POTUS (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s on women’s rights
Harris has put abortion rights at the heart of her campaign, saying it is a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body.
She says she’ll legislate to put these reproductive rights in to US law.
Trump has flip-flopped on this matter, having previously appointed the US Supreme Court justices who helped overturn the historic Roe v Wade judgement that resulted in 20 states bringing in strict abortion laws.
While he’s previously described these restrictions as a ‘beautiful thing to watch’, during this election campaign, the former president said he will not push for a national abortion ban.
He has also pushed for free IVF for women.
Trump is looking to return to the Oval Office for a final term as POTUS (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on foreign policy
Harris has committed to a co-operative international approach ,while also stressing the USA’s allegiance to NATO. She would continue the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine and call for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Trump said he would look at the USA’s approach to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia while also stressing he will end the conflict, but without saying how he would do this.
On the Middle East, Trump has been critical of Israel’s tactics in the ongoing conflicts with the likes of Gaza and Iran.
In the USA, Trump has supported an aggressive reply to those protesting in favour of Palestine, such as stripping foreign students of their visas.
Trump and Harris have only taken part in one presidential debate (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on immigration policy
As vice president, Harris oversaw the issue of the USA’s border with Mexico. Crossings into the States spiked towards the end of last year, before settling at a four-year low heading in to the election.
She says she will take a tough stance on human traffickers exploiting people crossing the border, as well as increase presidential power when it comes to border control.
Trump said he will complete building the wall on the Mexico border that he first mentioned during his 2016 campaign, while also carrying out the largest domestic deportation scheme in the history of the country.
His so-called ‘Muslim travel ban’ would also be reintroduced, banning people from numerous predominantly-Muslim countries from entering the USA.
The time to vote is now (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on the environment
Harris has thrown her support behind a fracking ban and championing electric vehicles. But under the Biden government, she has also been involved in record-high US oil and gas production.
The Biden-Harris administration did sign the Inflation Reduction Act, which promised investments in renewable energy sources to move away from fossil fuels.
Trump, who has previously described climate change as an ‘expensive hoax’, has committed to clean air and water for US citizens.
At the same time, he says he will repeal the Biden administration’s laws enhancing environmental regulations.
He is also a fierce opponent to wind power.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on gun policy
Harris and her vice-president nominee, Tim Walz, both said they are gun owners, while also calling for tighter gun control to stop violence associated with the weapons, such as school shootings.
Harris is in favour of expanding background checks before people can get a gun, as well as also banning assault rifles.
Trump hasn’t put forward any policies to tinker with gun laws, instead embracing them as they are.
