Joe Biden Vows Peaceful Transition on Jan

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By Associate Editor
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President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday for the first time since President-elect Donald Trump won Tuesday’s election.

During his remarks, Biden said he called Trump and assured him that his administration will work with his team “to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition” during Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Biden added, “I’ll fulfill my oath, and I will honor the Constitution. On January 20, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.”

Trump was declared the winner of the presidency by The Associated Press (AP) early Wednesday morning when he pushed over the required threshold of 270 Electoral College votes.

Biden’s Speech

While speaking at the White House Rose Garden on Thursday, Biden emphasized the importance of Americans coming together despite their political differences.

“We accept the choice the country made. 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,” he said. “Something I hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans. Bring down the temperature.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Biden spoke of the integrity of the election. When Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he did not and still does not accept the election results. For four years, Trump has repeatedly claimed that Biden’s election victory was stolen via widespread voter fraud despite there being no evidence of this. He has also never conceded the 2020 race to Biden.

“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,” he said.

What Biden Said About Kamala Harris

Biden touched on what he considered his accomplishments during his time in office, including infrastructure work and building “the strongest economy in the world.”

He also praised his vice president and called her failed presidential campaign “inspiring.”

“Yesterday, I also spoke with Vice President (Kamala) Harris,” he said. “She’s been a partner and a public servant. 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. She has great character, true character. She gave her whole heart effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran.”

Update 11/07/24 12:12 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more comments from President Biden.

Update 11/07/24 12:41 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more comments from President Biden.