Harris calls President-elect Trump to concede election after his historic victory
Washington: Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump to concede the election after he won the race to become the 47th President of the US in a historic victory.
Harris spoke to Trump on Wednesday, a senior Harris aide said.
“(Harris) called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election. She discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a President for all Americans,” they said.
Harris is scheduled to deliver her remarking speech to supporters at 4 p.m. Eastern time at Howard University, where she had planned to give an inauguration speech had she won.
Trump had a momentous comeback after losing to Joe Biden four years ago, and will now serve a second term.
His re-election defied two assassination attempts, two presidential impeachments, his criminal conviction and many other criminal charges. It also follows his attempt to overturn the 2020 election to stay in office.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump declared it a “magnificent victory” when addressing supporters at a watch party in Florida.
“This will truly be the golden age of America”, Donald Trump told supporters in Florida as he declared victory.
He was joined by his family and JD Vance — who will become the Vice-President — as he thanked the crowd, describing this as “the greatest political movement of all time”.
Speaking to his supporters, Trump said: “This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again.”
He added that he was going to “help our country heal” and “fix everything” about the US.
The Trump administration is expected to upend most of the policies of outgoing President Biden.
The upcoming 47th President of the US added: “We’re going to make our country better than it ever has been.
“I said that many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason.”
“And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness. And now we are going to fulfil that mission together. We’re going to fulfil that mission.”
Trump will be sworn in at an inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2025. It will come after the new US Congress meets on January 6 to count out electoral college votes formally and confirm the new President.
The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has joined world leaders who have congratulated Trump on his victory. The Prime Minister also shared a phone call with President-elect Trump later on Wednesday evening.
Starmer said: “We stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.”
Trump is projected to win all seven battleground swing states that essentially underpinned the entire election.
His victory has broken several records. He will become the oldest man to be elected President at the age of 78, breaking Biden’s record.
He is also the second President to win a non-consecutive term. Grover Cleveland was the only other President to have a four-year gap between terms; he was the 22nd President in 1884 and the 24th President after the campaign of 1892.
Trump is also the first Republican to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
The former President watched the results come in overnight from his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.
Among his guests were billionaire Elon Musk, who has been vocal in his support for Trump on X, the social media platform he owns.
In contrast, despondent supporters at a Harris watch party quickly left after they were told the Vice-President would not be addressing the crowd.
