Kamala Harris will deliver a speech conceding defeat in the presidential election to Donald Trump this afternoon. Earlier today, she called Trump to congratulate him on his electoral victory.
Here’s what to know.
Where will Harris deliver her concession speech?
Continuing a longstanding US tradition, Harris called Trump to congratulate him on recapturing the White House. Joe Biden also issued congratulations and “expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition”, according to the White House.
Harris will appear at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington DC to deliver a concession speech.
On election night, supporters gathered on the historic campus were in a celebratory mood earlier in the evening, but as the likelihood of a Democratic victory dimmed, the mood grew somber.
Harris was scheduled to appear before the crowd on election night, but did not appear. Instead, the campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond took the stage to address supporters.
Harris also launched her unsuccessful 2020 campaign for the Democratic nomination at Howard and used the campus to prepare for her August debate against Trump.
When will she speak?
Her speech will take place at 4pm ET.
The New York Times reported that Harris was scheduled to call Trump this afternoon to concede. The concession call is not a legal requirement in the US election, nor is the concession speech.
In past elections, when has the losing candidate conceded?
In 2016, Hilary Clinton gave a concession speech on Wednesday morning. “Donald Trump is going to be our president,” she said in Manhattan. “We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.”
In both 2012 and 2008, the election was called for Barack Obama before midnight.
In 2020, Trump refused to concede the US election to Joe Biden. He has not admitted publicly that he lost.
How to watch Harris’s concession speech
Major news networks will probably air the speech live. CBS will stream the speech, and CNN will probably make the speech available on its YouTube channel.
The Guardian will have a live feed of the speech and a team of reporters covering it live in our election blog.
What did she say on election night?
Harris made no public comment after polls closed on election night, beyond encouraging voters on social media to stay in line at their polling locations.
Harris was expected to speak to supporters on election night. However, as results came in and it became clear her path to victory had disappeared,
Richmond addressed the crowd at her election night party: “We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet.”
He confirmed Harris wouldn’t be speaking, but said the campaign would “continue, overnight, to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken”.
What to know about Trump’s victory speech
Appearing with his family, close aides and his running mate, JD Vance, before supporters in Florida last night, Trump called his victory the “greatest political movement of all time”.
“There’s never been anything like this in this country and now it’s going to reach a new level of importance, because we’re going to help our country heal,” Trump said.
“We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country … I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve, this will truly be the golden age of America.”
What happens next?
Harris will preside over a joint session of Congress in January to certify the results of the election. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th US president on 20 January 2025.
Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage
