 "'Obviously not the outcome we had hoped for': Obamas react to Trump's triumph in US election")
Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama congratulated Donald Trump on his triumph in the 2024 US Presidential election over Democratic rival Kamala Harris and called for a “peaceful transfer of power”.
‘Not the outcome we had hoped for’
In a statement, Barack Obama said, “This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues.”
“But living in a democracy is about recognising that our point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power,” the former president added.
The comments by Obama, who served as the 44th US President, stand in stark contrast with Trump’s unprecedented refusal in 2020 to concede defeat to Joe Biden, and resulting in the violent attack by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Harris an ’extraordinary public servant'
Obama went on to express pride in the efforts of Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, who faced a decisive defeat in the 2024 US election.
He described them as “two extraordinary public servants who ran a remarkable campaign.”
“Michelle (Barack Obama’s wife) and I could not be prouder of Vice President Harris and Governor Walz - two extraordinary public servants who ran a remarkable campaign,” he said, adding, “We will always be grateful to the staff and volunteer who poured their heart and soul into electing public servants they truly believed in.”
Obama also suggested a number of economic conditions that were responsible for Harris’s defeat.
“As I said on the campaign trail, America has been through a lot over the last few years — from a historic pandemic and price hikes resulting from the pandemic, to rapid change and the feeling a lot of folks have that, no matter how hard they work, treading water is the best they can do,” Obama said.
“Those conditions have created headwinds for democratic incumbents around the world, and last night showed that America is not immune," he further said.
Obama then went on to say that the “good news is that these problems are solvable — but only if we listen to each other, and only if we abide by the core constitutional principles and democratic norms that made this country great.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHere's our statement on the results of the 2024 presidential election: pic.twitter.com/lDkNVQDvMn
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 6, 2024
Throughout October, Obama was out on the campaign trail for Harris’s campaign. During this time, his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, also headlined a couple of events.
Catch all the updates on the 2024 US Presidential election on our LIVE **here** .
With inputs from agencies.
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