Chicago – November 06, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris, following her electoral defeat, chose not to address her supporters immediately like Hillary Clinton in 2016. Both women, running as Democrats, faced the possibility of becoming the first female president of the United States but were defeated by Donald Trump.
2016 after losing the election, Hillary Clinton did not speak on the night of the results. She waited until the next morning to urge her supporters to “accept this result and then look to the future.” Clinton expressed that Trump deserved “an open mind and the chance to lead.”
Similarly, Kamala Harris did not appear at her election night event at Howard University. When it was announced she wouldn’t be speaking, many of her supporters left the venue.
This decision has drawn criticism on social media, where people commented on her absence, noting it seemed ungrateful given that her supporters had waited hours to see her.
This approach by both candidates has sparked discussions about the expectations for concession speeches and the immediate reactions of presidential candidates after a defeat.
