Kamala Harris to address nation after conceding to Donald Trump
SAN FRANCISCO - Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to address the nation on Wednesday, one day after she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump.
She did not take the stage at her watch party Tuesday night at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Campaign spokesperson Cedric Richmond explained to the crowd that Harris didn't want to speak immediately so that every vote could be counted.
He promised Harris would return to the podium when the vote was final, despite the fact that Trump and the polls had already declared him the winner.
She is expected to speak at 1 p.m. PST.
Meanwhile, her supporters' spirits were dampened as they had hoped to see the first woman of color who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area become president.
"I feel terrible, absolutely terrible," said Jessica Reid, who had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and attended a watch party at Manny's restaurant in San Francisco. "This is the worst. Dobbs. Jan. 6. It's like nothing mattered. Like we don't matter. My kids don't matter."
Andie Leandro of Walnut Creek went to sleep feeling defeated and when she woke up, she said she felt "depressed, sad and anxious."
"I’m not looking forward to the next four years," Leandro said. "He’s already said he’s going to be a dictator from the beginning."
Republicans, of course, were happy with the result.
"I believe that Donald Trump will drive us forward for a better economy for all Americans," GOP supporter KKadin True said at a Pleasant Hill watch party. "That's what I'm excited about. Less money going to gas, going to taxes. What I care about is what's in my wallet."
Trump earned a total of 292 electoral votes after winning critical swing states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Only 270 votes are needed to win the presidency.
Harris had earned 224 electoral votes by Wednesday morning.
Trump's win against Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket, marks the second time he has defeated a female rival in a general election.
Harris rose to the top of the ticket after Biden exited the race amid alarm about his advanced age.
Despite an initial surge of energy around her campaign, she struggled during a compressed timeline to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an unpopular administration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.