"You can't love your country only when you win," says Biden after Trump's presidential win
Nov 07, 2024
Washington DC, [US], November 7 : Outgoing US President Joe Biden told Americans on Thursday that he understands there will be different feelings about yesterday's presidential election result, but the "will of the people always prevails".
This message came after Donald Trump's victory, where he secured more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
"I know for some people it is a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it's a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other, we accept the choice the country made," Biden said in his first public remarks since Trump's win was declared.
"You can't love your country only when you win. You can't love your neighbor only when you agree. Something I think you can do no matter who you voted for is see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans, bring down the temperature," he added.
Further, he said the American people deserve a "peaceful and orderly" transition following President-elect Donald Trump's majority in US polls.
"For over 200 years, America has carried out the greatest experiment in self-government in the history of the world," Biden said from the White House. "That's not hyperbole. That's a fact. Where the people, the people vote and choose their own leaders, and they do it peacefully. And we're in a democracy. The will of the people always prevails."
Biden added: "Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory, and I assured him that I'd direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That's what the American people deserve."
Biden also lauded Vice President Kamala Harris for her "true character" in his remarks and stated, "She ran an inspiring campaign, and everyone got to see something that I learned early on to respect so much, her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod and she has great character, true character.".
"She gave her whole heart and effort. She and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran," he added.
Notably, Donald Trump has secured a second term as president after winning crucial battleground states. This victory marks a significant comeback for Trump, who lost his re-election bid in 2020 to President Joe Biden.
A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes out of 538 to win the presidency. Republican Trump won 295 while Democratic Harris won 226 votes.
Since 1892, no US President who had lost an election has ever come back to win a non-consecutive second election.
In the US presidential election, Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump won a decisive victory over his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. He will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, which will be his second term in this post.