President Biden promises peaceful transfer to Donald Trump on January 20, urges Americans to lower political temperature after election result

President Joe Biden said in a speech from the White House on Thursday that he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his election victory and to guarantee a smooth transition of power when he takes office on January 20.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about the results of the 2024 election in the Rose Garden on November 07, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"I assured him that my entire administration would collaborate with his team to ensure a smooth and orderly transition." "That's what the American people deserve," Biden stated.

On Tuesday, Trump promptly claimed the presidency when Wisconsin's electoral votes went his way, putting him over the 270 electoral vote barrier. Biden stated that he had asked President-elect Trump to a meeting in the White House ahead of Trump's return to his old house during his first term as president from 2017 to 2021.

For years, Biden and Trump have been fierce competitors as the leaders of the country's two major parties, with Trump routinely insulting the president about his age and cognitive ability, and Biden claiming that Trump is a threat to American democracy and that only he can stop him. Trump has never accepted that he lost to Biden in the 2020 election, and he has since fueled the fires of a conspiracy involving widespread voting fraud in that contest.

In his speech on Thursday, Biden stated that he spoke with Harris following her defeat, which he described as a "setback."

"Yesterday, I also spoke with Vice President Harris," he said. "She has been both a partner and a public servant. She conducted an inspiring campaign, and everyone saw something I learned to value early on. Her character has a ramrod-like backbone. She has wonderful character, genuine character. She worked tirelessly, and she and her staff should be proud of the campaign they waged."

In a concession speech made on Wednesday at her alma school, Howard University, Harris stated that while she quits the election, "I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign."

On Thursday, Biden spoke from the White House, offering wisdom and consolation to people disappointed by the election results, as well as assurances that democracy can survive under a Trump presidency. Biden pulled out of the race in July due to age concerns, leaving Harris just three months to plan and execute a victorious campaign. During their presidential campaigns, both Biden and Harris stated that Trump poses a true threat to democracy. 

"The struggle for the soul of America since our very founding has always been an ongoing debate and still vital today," Biden told reporters Thursday. "I understand that for some people, triumph means stating the obvious. Others are experiencing loss. Campaigns are fights between opposing visions. The country choose one or the other. We accept the decision that the country made. I've often stated, 'You can't love your nation only when you win. You cannot love your neighbor until you agree. I hope that regardless of who you voted for, we can recognize each other as fellow Americans rather than rivals."

Biden also covered the closing weeks of his presidency, praising the growing economy and, in broad strokes, the efforts of his government over the last four years.

"The route ahead is clear, providing we stick to it. There is so much we can and will do depending on how the law was enacted. "And it is truly historic," Biden addressed the country. "You know, we are leaving behind the world's strongest economy. I realize people are still grieving, but things are changing quickly. Together, we've made a positive difference in America. We now have 74 days to complete the term, our term—let's make every day matter. That is the obligation we bear to the American people."

For those devastated by Harris' defeat and the Democrats' loss of control of the Senate and potentially the House of Representatives beginning next year, Biden offered a platitude he claimed he had heard from a generation before his own.

"Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable," the president declared. "We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up."

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