USA Harris concedes defeat: Keep fighting for democracy
Kamala Harris has conceded defeat in the US presidential election and called for a commitment to democracy. Now is not the time to despair, but time to roll up our sleeves and fight for freedom and justice, Harris said in Washington.
06.11.2024, 23:30
SDA
Republican Donald Trump won the US presidential election on Tuesday, inflicting a devastating defeat on the current Democratic Vice President Harris. She called Trump and congratulated him on his victory, she reported. At the same time, she said: "While I concede defeat in this election, I am not conceding the fight that fueled this campaign."
Trump's return to the White House threatens the USA with increasingly authoritarian governance and international allies with foreign policy uncertainty. Trump has won in all of the "swing states" counted so far, i.e. the particularly contested states, and achieved the necessary majority of more than 270 electoral votes to secure the presidency again.
Trump also managed to secure a clear majority of the votes cast nationwide for the first time. The Republicans were also able to take the majority in the US Senate from the Democrats. In the second chamber of parliament, the House of Representatives, it was initially unclear whether the Republicans would be able to defend their majority there.
Trump wants a radical change of course
During the election campaign, Trump had announced the "biggest deportation in history" of migrants from the USA, a swift end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine as well as high import duties and tax cuts. The Republican also denies the climate crisis and announced a drastic expansion of oil and natural gas production in the USA.
In foreign policy - where Vice President Harris stood for continuity with the course of incumbent and transatlanticist Joe Biden - Trump is seen as unpredictable, also with regard to the important US support for Ukraine. There are fears that Trump could cut off aid.
"We have to accept the result of this election," said Harris. She acknowledged that many people now feared the beginning of a dark period. She hoped this would not happen. But even then, America must fill the dark sky with the light of the stars, she sought a metaphor.
President Biden also congratulated Trump on his election victory and invited him to the White House. Trump had largely boycotted the handover of power to Biden in 2020 and wanted to reverse the result.
New era for Europe and the world
Trump's second presidency is likely to put the international balance of power and existing alliances to the test. Initial reactions emphasized the willingness to work together: "Together we can achieve much more than against each other," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, for example.
The offer of reliable cooperation also applies "in view of the threat that all NATO allies believe Russia poses to security in Europe", he said. The USA is Ukraine's most important arms supplier - ahead of Germany.
Authoritarian heads of state and government may now be hoping that the USA will change course. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban called for a new EU strategy for Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. As Trump could stop American aid for Kiev, the question arises as to whether Europe will be able to shoulder the financial and military support for Ukraine alone.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that the "United States is in a position to contribute to ending the conflict". Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted with joy. She wrote "Hallelujah" on Telegram. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump "on the greatest comeback in history".
"It's a political victory the likes of which our country has never seen"
Trump had appeared on election night after the Fox News channel was the only one to declare his victory. In his home state of Florida, the mood was jubilant: "It's a political victory like our country has never seen before," he said during an appearance in front of supporters. He promised a "golden age" of America and thanked his voters for their support.
With the Senate majority, the Republicans could also further expand the conservative majority in the Supreme Court, which will shape the USA for decades to come. Supreme Court judges are appointed for life. Trump appointed three judges in his first term of office and ensured that conservatives had a majority. Among other things, they overturned the nationwide right to abortion.
The Democrats could form a counterweight in the House of Representatives - if they manage to take back the second chamber of Congress. If this also falls to the Republicans, Trump will be able to govern virtually unhindered.
Crushing defeat for Vice President Harris
Polls had predicted a close neck-and-neck race. But Democrat Harris suffered a debacle. For Trump, it is a historic comeback. When he left the White House four years ago, he seemed politically finished after his supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington and he refused to recognize the election result.
The ex-president scored points during the election campaign with promises such as halving energy costs in the face of the high cost of living, which is a burden for many people in the USA. He stoked fears of an alleged invasion of criminal migrants. Compared to his defeat against Biden four years ago, he performed better among blacks and Latinos, on whose votes the Democrats have traditionally been able to count.
The USA has been through a turbulent, heated election campaign. In July, Trump was slightly injured in an assassination attempt during a campaign appearance. Afterwards, he said that God had protected him so that he could lead America to new greatness.
Controversial assessment of Trump's first term in office
In his first term in office, Trump implemented tough measures on the southern border of the USA, such as the construction of a meter-high fence and the separation of migrant children from their parents. Americans were dissatisfied with his coronavirus policy in 2020. From the Democrats' point of view, he disqualified himself by refusing to acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 election. Several lawsuits are pending against Trump. Most of these are likely to quickly cease to be an issue with his return to the White House.
The new president will be sworn in on January 20.
