President Joe Biden urged wounded Democrats to “get back up” and follow his lead in ensuring a peaceful transition of power.
Speaking to the public for the first time since Donald Trump won the 2024 election, the president told staffers, Cabinet officials, and reporters gathered in the Rose Garden that he had called the president-elect the day before to congratulate him.
“I assured him that I will direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition,” Biden said on Thursday. “That’s what the American people deserve.”
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Some Democrats are pining the blame for their loss on Biden’s decision not to drop out of the race sooner, which would have allowed the party to hold a competitive primary. After a brutal campaign during which many voters expressed concerns about his age and ability to do the job, he was forced out of the race over the summer following his revealing presidential debate performance.
He spent a few moments describing the campaign of his chosen successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, as “inspiring.” But he spent more time urging his allies to accept reality: they lost.
“You can’t love your country only when you win,” he said. “You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree. 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,” he added.
He reassured the country that the electoral system that led to his party’s loss could be trusted. Even as he encouraged Americans to cool it, he got in a subtle dig at Trump by promising to do what the former president did not.
“I will do my duty as president,” he said. “I’ll fulfill my oath and I will honor the Constitution. On January 20th, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.
He painted a hopeful vision by talking about how the administration’s accomplishments would endure and that there was still plenty of work to do in the next 74 days until Trump takes office. And he acknowledged directly that Democrats had lost.
“We lost this battle,” he said. “The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”
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