By
President Joe Biden said there will be a “peaceful transfer of power” on Jan. 20, 2025, vowing to uphold a longstanding norm after Donald Trump’s commanding win in the election.
In remarks at the Rose Garden on Thursday, Biden spoke about the importance of accepting the choice of the majority.
“The struggle for the soul of America since our very founding has always been an ongoing debate and it’s still vital today,” he said.
“I know for some people, it’s a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss,” he added. “Campaigns are a contest of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made. ... You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree."
Biden lauded Harris for running an “inspiring” campaign, and he said he has assured Trump that his administration would work with the president-elect’s team for a “peaceful and orderly transition.”
A defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.
President Joe Biden
Biden’s pledge of a peaceful transition of power is in stark contrast to Trump’s refusal to accept the election results four years ago and the Jan. 6, 2021, violence that ensued. Trump also skipped Biden’s inauguration in 2021, bucking a 150-year tradition.
Biden urged the country to come together despite their political differences. And in a portion of his speech that seemed aimed at Democrats, he said “giving up is unforgivable.”
“We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up,” he said. “Remember: A defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”
Biden’s message echoes Harris’ concession speech on Wednesday, when she urged supporters to accept the results and not to despair. Yet Trump’s sweeping election victory has deeply shaken Democrats and left many fearful of the direction that the country is heading in.
For months, Biden and Harris had portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy and warned of a steep erosion of civil rights if he wins. Now, faced with the reality of a second Trump administration, some Democrats are blaming Biden for running for r-eelection in the first place and questioning just how much they may have overlooked the public’s profound dissatisfaction with their party.