WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden addressed the nation Thursday after Donald Trump’s landslide victory, urging Americans to “accept the choice the country has made” and encouraging supporters to “get off the ground.”
“We accept the choice made by the country,” he said. “I have said many times that you cannot love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only if you agree.”
Biden’s speech comes four years after Trump, the projected winner of the 2020 election, claimed for years that the results were rigged and tried to overturn them.
“I will do my duty as president: I will fulfill my oath and follow the Constitution. On January 20, there will be a peaceful transfer of power in America,” Biden said Thursday.
Biden acknowledged that the achievements of his administration have not yet been felt by the American people, and suggested that it will take years to feel the impact. He said the legislation he signed into law was only now “really kicking in,” adding that $1 trillion in infrastructure would be delivered and transform lives in rural communities and other struggling areas.
“It will take time to implement,” he said, adding that it would leave behind “the strongest economy in the world.”
He also urged Americans disappointed by Harris’ defeat not to give up.
“Failures are inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable. We all fall, but the measure of our character is how quickly we get back up, as my father said. Remember, defeat doesn’t mean defeat.” Biden said. “We have lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling you to stand up.”
Trump’s victory was a crushing blow to Democrats who had hoped to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the first female president. Instead, Trump expanded his base and captured several of the battleground states that Biden hit in 2020: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Harris He agreed to Trump over the phone Wednesday morning and He addressed his supporters in his speech at Howard Universityhis alma mater, days later.
“This morning I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team in his transition and deal with the peaceful transfer of power.”
He added: “A basic tenet of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results.”
Biden also called Trump and congratulated him on his victory.
“President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” the White House said. “He also invited President-elect Trump to meet with him at the White House. The team will soon coordinate a specific date.”