U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday addressed Americans for the first time since Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential election loss, delivering a speech in the White House Rose Garden that called for unity and underscored the integrity of the U.S. electoral system.
“Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made,” he said. “I’ve said many times—you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday addressed Americans for the first time since Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential election loss, delivering a speech in the White House Rose Garden that called for unity and underscored the integrity of the U.S. electoral system.
“Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made,” he said. “I’ve said many times—you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
Biden confirmed that he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his victory. “I assured him that I will direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition,” Biden said. Trump has refused to acknowledge losing the 2020 presidential election.
“I also hope we can lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electoral system. It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent. And it can be trusted, win or lose,” Biden said.
Biden praised Harris, saying she has “a backbone like a ramrod” and that she “gave her whole heart and effort” on a campaign that she should be proud of. Biden also nodded to his own presidential legacy, declaring that his administration was “leaving behind the strongest economy in the world” and referencing legislation with an impact that “will be felt over the next 10 years.”
He also urged Harris’s supporters to keep fighting. “We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up,” he said. “The American experiment endures. We’re going to be okay, but we need to stay engaged.”
This post is part of FP’s live coverage with global updates and analysis throughout the U.S. election. Follow along here.
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