President Joe Biden encouraged Americans to “accept the choice the country made” as he addressed the nation Thursday.
Biden took to the podium in the Rose Garden after President-elect Donald Trump won a decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House.
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“We accept the choice the country made,” he said, per NBC News. “I’ve said many times you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
Biden also assured the country there will be a peaceful transition of power, something that did not happen four years ago when Trump attempted to have the 2020 election results overturned.
“I will do my duty as president: I will fulfill my oath and I will honor the Constitution. On Jan. 20, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America,” Biden said.
The president also took time to expound on what his administration has accomplished even if the effects are not immediately felt.
He adding that $1 trillion in infrastructure work will change people’s lives in rural communities.
“It takes time to get it done,” he said, adding he is leave behind “the strongest economy in the world.”
He urged Harris supporters to keep going.
“Setbacks are unavoidable, but 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. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated,” Biden said. “We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”
