The followers of Kamala Harris held their heads in their hands as they watched the votes roll in for Donald Trump at the results celebrations held around the United States. Yesterday evening, the Democratic Vice President delivered her concession address at Howard University in Washington, D.C., the ideal location for her to celebrate her victory.
Harris has acknowledged that she had communicated with her Republican opponent to congratulate him on his victory, as per BBC. "I know folks are feeling and experiencing various emotions right now. I get it. [But] we must accept the results of this election," she stated.
"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 our God. My loyalty to all three is why I say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign. 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," Kamala added.
At the beginning of the previous evening in Philadelphia, there were chants of "We vote, we win," but the atmosphere quickly became gloomy. Although the city voted blue, Trump won the swing state of Pennsylvania thanks to the overwhelming support he received in the suburbs and rural areas.
Devon Zilinek's sadness turned to anger as she saw how "people who are pro-Trump are celebrating and using horrible rhetoric." The marketing worker, 29, fears for reproductive rights and minorities. "The USA is lost," she added.
Health worker Alexus Bennett, 31, said she felt she lived in "Doomsdale." "I don't feel safe. I didn't expect it to go that way. I had faith in Kamala. I don't feel Trump is in our best interests," she went on.
Netizens also had mixed reactions to Harris' concession speech.
"She shouldn’t concede. Trump cheated! Where are the 20 million votes??" one netizen claimed. "We must continue the momentum and keep pushing forward and supporting our candidates into the mid terms," another X user penned on the platform.
"This was her best speech to-date. If she'd made speeches from the heart like that during her campaign she might've won," a third netizen suggested. "Kamala’s concession shows Trump was never the 'dictator' they warned us about. If he was, no way would they surrender power. The narrative was fear, not fact," Parker McCumber stated.
