‘Don’t be desperate’: Read Kamala’s phrases in her first speech after defeat

My heart is full today, with gratitude, for the trust you had in me. Also full of love for our country and the desire to move forward. The result of this election was not what we expected, it was not what we fought for, what we voted for, but listen when I say this: the light of the promise of the United States will always shine for all of us. As long as we don’t give up, we can keep fighting, this light will continue to shine.

I’m so proud of the campaign we ran and how we ran it. In 107 days, we were absolutely spot on in creating a community, uniting people in love for our country, with enthusiasm, joy, in our fight for the future of the USA. And we did this with the understanding that we all have much more in common than what separates us. I know you are going through a lot of emotions right now. I understand. I know what it’s like.

But we have to accept the result of this election. Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump, congratulated him on his victory and also said that we will assist him and his team in our peaceful transfer of power. A basic tenet of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the result. This principle, like all the others, is what will differentiate a democracy from a monarchy or tyranny.

Anyone who seeks the public’s trust must honor it, and at the same time, in our nation, we owe allegiance not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States of America. And loyalty to our conscience and our God. My loyalty to these three things is why I am here to say: in conceding this election, I will not give in to the fight that was behind the campaign we ran. Fight for freedoms, opportunities, justice and dignity of all people. Ideals that are at the heart of a nation.

I will never give up fighting for a future where Americans can follow their dreams, where women in America have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and not have their government tell them what to do.

We will never give up protecting our schools and streets from gun violence, our democracy, the rule of law, equal justice and the sacred idea that each of us has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and defended.

The fight for our freedom will require a lot of work from all of us. But as I always say, we like to work hard. Hard work is good work and it can be joyful too. And the fight for our freedom is always worth it.

I will close by reciting a quote from a man who wrote about the law of history, which applies in all societies throughout the ages. The phrase is as follows: ‘Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars’.

I know many people feel that we are entering a time of great darkness, but for everyone’s benefit, I hope that is not the case, but if it is, let’s look to the sky and let’s fill it with light. of thousands, billions of extremely bright stars — the light of optimism, faith, truth and service for our country. Yes, that’s it. You are that light. And may this work guide us even when we face obstacles, so that we can move forward with this extraordinary promise of the United States of America.