In shock, Democrats search for answers

Kamala concedes election, 'but not the fight'; Biden urges backers to 'bring the temperature down'

- Prashant Jha

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, acknowledged that her Republican rival, Donald Trump, had won the 2024 elections.

But she warned that while she was conceding the election, she wasn't conceding the fight for freedom "that fueled her campaign", in a message that appeared aimed to boost the morale of her base but also left an intriguing hint about her own future.

Harris delivered her concession speech at Howard University, her alma mater and a historically Black institution in Washington DC, on Wednesday afternoon eastern time (Thursday morning IST).

For his part, President Joe Biden spoke to Trump and invited him to the White House, a meeting that's expected to be held soon, and promised a peaceful transition, something that Trump hadn't done back in 2020.

Democrats remained in shock at the scale of Trump's win and Republican takeover of the Senate on Wednesday and Thursday.

The only hope Democrats now have to impose any check on the President-elect is a majority in the House of Representatives, but the counting of votes in competitive seats of the House was ongoing at the time of going to press.

With her husband Doug Emhoff, her running mate Tim Walz, and hundreds of supporters and volunteers in attendance, many of whom could be seen tearing up and even sobbing, Harris said, "The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for...Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it, but we must accept the results of this election."

Harris congratulates Trump on his win

Harris said she had spoken to Trump, congratulated him, promised to help with the transition, and told him they were committed to a peaceful transition of power.