Harris calls Trump to concede election loss as Biden congratulates both candidates
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Vice President Harris during a campaign event at Jenison Field House at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on Nov. 3. Photo: Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Vice President Harris conceded Wednesday in the presidential race against President-elect Trump.
Why it matters: Harris fared worse in the race than Democrats had hoped, losing decisively to Trump in battleground states that President Biden won four years earlier.
- Harris called Trump on Wednesday afternoon to congratulate him, per a senior Harris aide. She's expected to deliver remarks at Howard University later in the day.
- "Both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country," Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said.
Zoom in: Harris told Trump she'd ensure a peaceful transfer of power from the Biden administration to his, Harris' campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in an email to campaign staff.
- "You left everything on the field," O'Malley Dillon wrote to the staff. "You built a first-rate, historic presidential campaign in basically 90 days. You navigated things that no one has ever had to navigate, and likely no one will ever have to again."
- "Losing is unfathomably painful," she added. "It is hard. This will take a long time to process. But the work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump presidency starts now."
Biden congratulates Trump, Harris
Biden spoke by phone with both candidates, congratulating Harris on her campaign and Trump on his victory, per a pool report.
- He invited Trump to meet him in the White House and "expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together," the report said.
- Biden will publicly remark on election results and the transition on Thursday.
The big picture: Trump, 78, became the oldest U.S. president ever elected when the AP called the race early Wednesday morning. He's the first-ever convicted felon to be elected to the nation's highest office.
- His win ushers in the start of a new MAGA era eight years after he was first elected to the White House.
Between the lines: 73% of voters said they believed Harris would accept an election loss, according to an October CNN/SSRS poll.
- Most voters didn't believe Trump would concede following a loss. In the last cycle, Trump acknowledged he would not serve a second term in January 2021, the day after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
What we're watching: Trump delayed entering agreements with the Biden administration over the standard presidential transition process.
Zoom out: The 2024 presidential election, in a dead heat until the end, was the most unprecedented cycle in modern U.S. history.
- Harris became the Democratic nominee three months before Election Day after Biden exited the race.
Go deeper: TRUMP ELECTED AGAIN, BEGINNING NEW MAGA ERA
Editor's note: This story has been updated with campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon's memo to Harris staff, a statement from Trump's spokesperson and Biden's calls with the candidates.
