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President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday, after former President Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election. Biden urged Americans to “accept the choice the country made” and encouraged Democratic supporters to “get back up.” The president’s speech came exactly four years to the day he was declared the winner of the 2020 election against Trump.
Biden said in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden: “We accept the choice the country made. I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up .. For over 200 years, America has carried on the greatest experiment in self-government in the history of the world, where the people, the people vote and choose their own leaders and they do it peacefully. And where in a democracy, the will of the people always prevails.”
In his remarks, the president also praised Harris’ campaign: “She ran an inspiring campaign, and everyone got to see something that I learned early on to respect so much — her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod, she has great character, true character. She gave her whole heart and effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran.”
Harris conceded the election to Trump by phone on Wednesday morning and addressed her supporters in remarks at her alma mater, Howard University. She said: “Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. 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.”
Biden added that he also called Trump personally to congratulate him on his victory, and has invited President-elect Trump to meet with him in the White House at a date to be determined.
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