Speaking in front of a crowd of thousands outside Howard University in Washington DC, Vice President Kamala Harris has officially conceded the US federal election to Donald Trump.
Harris was all smiles in front of her supporters as she told them, "my heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve. The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say — the light of America's promise will always burn."
Standing alone on stage, Harris said she was "proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it."
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She told the crowd that "we must accept the results of this election," as cameras showed people visibly crying in the audience.
She confirmed that she called president elect Donald Trump and congratulated him on his victory, confirming she "will help him and his team with the transition" to office.
In a powerful message she declared, "while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign. The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best — that is a fight I will never give up.
"I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations, where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body, and not have their government telling them what to do.
"We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And, America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are, or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld.
"We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect."
In a special message to "the young people watching," Harris said it was okay to feel sad and disappointed, but "please know it's going to be okay…..sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win. The important thing is don't ever give up. Don't ever stop trying to make the world a better place.
"This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves," she told them.
"I'll close with this — there's an adage an historian once called a law of history, 'only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.' I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time but, for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here's the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth, and service."
Harris was a late decision by Democrats to run Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race in July.
Trump, 78, is heading back to the White House with major news networks in America projecting that he has comfortably secured enough Electoral College votes — more than 270 — following wins over Harris in hard-fought battleground states including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
At the time of publication, Trump has won 292 electoral votes to Harris' 224 with several states yet to be counted according to the Associated Press.
Trump also led Harris by more than five million votes in the popular count.
The House of Representatives is the only win yet to be called, and could be the Democrats only chance to secure a win within the new Trump administration.
Trump did a victory acceptance speech on Tuesday night, telling his supporters "God spared my life for a reason," referencing the three different attempts on his life during his campaign.
He has vowed to help his country "heal" and that this will the "golden age of America."
The full transcript of Kamala Harris' concession speech.
"Good afternoon. Thank you all, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Let me say, I love you back. My heart is full today. My heart is full today.
Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve. The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, the light of America's promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting.
To my beloved Doug and our family, I love you so very much. To President Biden and Doctor Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue. And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and the local election officials, I thank you, I thank you all.I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America's future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.
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.
Earlier today, I spoke with president-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.
A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.
At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty, not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign.
The fight, the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation. The ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up. I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspiration is where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do.
We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld.
And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.
And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbour.
By always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve.
The fight for our freedom will take hard work. But like I always say, we like hard work.
Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work, and the fight for our country is always worth it. It is always worth it.
To the young people who are watching, it is, I love you. To the young people who are watching it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it's going to be okay. On the campaign, I would often say when we fight, we win. But here's the thing, here's the thing. Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win.
The important thing is don't ever give up, don't ever give up, don't ever stop trying to make the world a better place.
You have power. You have power and don't you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.
You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.
And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair.
This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.
This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.
Look many of you know, I started out as a prosecutor, and throughout my career I saw people at some of the worst times in their lives, people who had suffered great harm and great pain and yet found within themselves the strength and the courage and the resolve to take the stand, to take a stand, to fight for justice, to fight for themselves, to fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination be our charge.
And I'll close with this. There's an adage an historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages.
The adage is: "Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars."
I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case.
But here's the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.
The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service. And may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.
I thank you all, may God bless you and may God bless the United States of America. I thank you all."
-With AAP
Feature image: Michael M. Santiago/Getty.