Thursday , December 5 2024

Harris concedes, promises peaceful transfer of power

07-11-2024

WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris tells supporters “do not despair” as she vows to help Donald Trump with the transfer of power.

“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,” she says in her first speech since losing the election.

Trump carved out a decisive victory as he won five of the seven battleground states he’s ahead in the final two yet to declare, Nevada and Arizona.

Meanwhile, Republicans have retaken control of the US Senate; they also lead the contest to control the House of Representatives, but it could take days for a final result.

Earlier, Vice-President Kamala Harris gave an emotional concession speech on the steps of her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington.

She urged the crowd watching not to give up fighting for a brighter future for America, a message she has reiterated to her supporters over her campaign email.

In it, Harris is emphatic in her gratitude for those who backed her.

She acknowledges that the outcome of the election “is not what we wanted” but adds: “The light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and keep fighting”.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she says.

Donald Trump’s return to the White House might prove to be a win for one of his most visible supporters: Elon Musk.

The world’s richest man spent election night in Florida with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort as returns came in.

“The people of America gave Donald Trump a crystal clear mandate for change tonight,” Musk wrote on X, the platform he owns as Trump’s victory began to appear all but certain and at his victory speech at the Palm Beach Convention Centre, Trump spent several minutes praising Musk and recounting the successful landing of a rocket manufactured by one of Musk’s companies, SpaceX.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, writes on X that Senate Democrats will be committed to working with Republican colleagues after the party won the majority in the upper chamber.

“As I’ve said time and again, in both the majority and the minority, the only way to get things done in the Senate is through bipartisan legislation while maintaining our principles and the next two years will be no different.” he adds.

The Republican Party retook control of the Senate, after flipping seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana.

A handful of races remain undecided, with ballots still being counted.

President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in at the presidential inauguration on 20 January 2025.

It is at this point he will legally assume the power and responsibilities of the presidency. Prior to January, the Electoral College process plays out. Each state generally awards their Electoral College votes to whoever wins the popular vote. This is confirmed on 17 December.

The new US Congress then meets on 6 Januaryto count the Electoral College votes and certify the results, thus officially confirming the next president.

It was this part of the process that Trump’s supporters tried to stop when they stormed the US Capitol in 2021 after he refused to concede defeat to Joe Biden.

Recent polling data shows white men represented overwhelmingly the biggest percentage of voters who backed president-elect Trump in the 2024 presidential election, at 60%. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)

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