Supporters, with tears and resignation, hear Harris' concession speech

Washington, DC — Two evenings, two tales: one enthusiastic, one composed.

On Tuesday, when millions of Americans cast their ballots, joyful vibes filled the evening air at Howard University, where thousands of Kamala Harris supporters had gathered to celebrate what they assumed would be an easy victory over Republican Donald Trump.

Tension developed as results began to arrive. The jubilant mood suddenly turned into a sombre atmosphere. To the utter shock of everyone, things took an unexpected twist — Trump took the lead and continued with it until Harris conceded the next day, while Harris skipped the stage appearance.

After the painful night, Harris, however, switched gears.

On Wednesday afternoon, she called Trump, conceding the presidential election and promising a "peaceful transfer of power." Then she made her appearance at the university, her alma mater, where again thousands waited to hear her concession speech.

"The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for," Harris said as the crowd — who were expecting a victory speech a day earlier — roared and cheered. "But hear me when I say … the light of America's promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting."

She continued: "While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign," she vowed.

'I'm disappointed'

For thousands of her supporters, it was not the outcome they had hoped for.

Eleisha Poole and Kayla Mambe, both 18 and students, danced with pure joy and energy on Tuesday evening after voting for Harris. They were again at the site, 24 hours later, with the same banner — reading "Kamala Harris 2024" and "A woman’s place is in the White House" — they had carried for the election night watch.

"I am a little bit disappointed," Poole tells TRT World of the election outcome that has sent 78-year-old Trump to the White House — the world’s most important residence. The health science student, however, says "nothing is better than coming together as one than being divided."

Mambe, also 18, feels Harris’ loss deeply.

"I am disappointed that she didn't win," the chemistry student says. "The biggest thing for us as women is our reproductive rights. And now it's in the hand of a felon who really does not care about us."

Like Poole and Mambe, it was Teshane Gibson’s first voting experience. But it did not go as expected.

"I'm disappointed. Yes, I would be lying if I said no," the 21-year-old student says, but vows, "This isn't going to be the end. We might have lost the battle, but we certainly have not lost the war."

Tears and resigned faces

Harris, who wore a dark suit and stepped out in style to Beyonce's "Freedom" song, urged her supporters to not despair, because "this is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves." A giant screen displaying her concession message showed many supporters in tears and resigned faces.

But for some, another chance awaits Harris in the next election after she was decisively beaten by Trump despite most opinion polls suggesting a tight contest.

Trump, now the 47th president of the country, registered a remarkable comeback after facing felony convictions, and surviving two assassination attempts.

For Gibson, Harris fought well and "emulated everything that a Bison has."

"I really love her speech as a fellow Bison. I firmly believe this may be the first time a Bison has been on the ballot, but it won't be the last."

Harris’ Howard speech on Wednesday concluded a chaotic presidential election that saw US President Joe Biden losing to Trump in a debate and then stepping down.

Harris, who lifted the party’s downed morale as a Democratic nominee, however, faced accusations of pandering to Israel’s hawkish premier Benjamin Netanyahu and ignoring his 400-day genocidal war in besieged Gaza that ignited America-wide protests and allowed alliances to build a consensus and block her path to the presidency.

Harris has come under fire for ignoring calls of protesters, polls and pundits regarding Gaza war — one of the several factors impacting her chances — as she continued Biden’s policy of arming Israel.

While she was accused of sidelining pro-Palestine groups and leaders of Muslim Americans, Trump — known for his past anti-Muslim bigotry — was openly stitching broad coalitions that involved almost all minorities, including Black, Hispanic, and Muslim Americans.

Harris’ Democratic Party may soon self-introspect and study what went wrong.

Meanwhile, for her supporter Tyler Henry, a 21-year-old who is studying mechanical engineering, Trump has a real chance to become the "president for all Americans."

"I think it has yet to be seen. I'm not saying it's impossible, but you know, we just got to see."