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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has broken his silence after he and his Democratic presidential running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, went down in historic defeat at the hands of now-President-elect Donald Trump.
In a statement posted Wednesday after Harris conceded the election to President-elect Trump, Walz thanked the vice president for choosing him.
“Thank you Vice President @KamalaHarris for putting your faith in me, and selecting me as your running mate,” he said in posts online. “Campaigning at your side was the honor and privilege of my life.”
Walz acknowledged that the outcome of the presidential election was not what he and Harris had hoped for, but he expressed gratitude for the millions of Americans who supported them.
“While the outcome is not what we wanted, I am grateful to the millions of Americans who joined our campaign and stood up for our greatest ideals: decency, compassion, and love of our neighbor,” Walz said. “Now more than ever, we need you to continue fighting for those values and the country we all love.”
Former President Clinton and former first lady, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wish President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance well, The Hill reported.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ran a positive, forward-looking campaign to be proud of. The American people have voted, and Donald Trump and J.D. Vance will be the next President and Vice President of the United States,” the Clintons said in a statement. “We wish them well and hope they will govern for all of us.”
“We must remember that America is bigger than the results of any one election, and what we as citizens do now will make the difference between a nation that moves forward or one that falls back,” the Clintons added.
Former President Barack Obama also released a statement after Harris’ blowout election loss.
In a statement posted to social media, Obama partially admitted to a few reasons 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. 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,” Obama added, also congratulating Sen. JD Vance on becoming vice president-elect.
Many economists have recognized the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on inflation but they also noted that the first two years of the Biden-Harris administration saw large increases in federal spending, thanks to a Democrat-controlled Congress, along with White House policies that exacerbated the situation.
Harris called Trump on Wednesday to concede in the presidential race.
Trump’s campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, said Trump “acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country.”
Several world leaders contacted President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his history-making comeback and victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on the X platform.
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” he added with a photo of himself, wife Sara, and Trump.
