President Joe Biden consoled his supporters and urged them to not give up as he pledged to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Donald Trump in January.
“Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable,” Biden told staffers and his cabinet Thursday as they gathered in the Rose Garden two days after Trump’s shock victory.
“The American experiment endures. We’re going to be OK. But we need to stay engaged, we need to keep going. And above all, we need to keep the faith,” Biden said in a roughly six-minute address.
Biden became the first president to step aside and not run for reelection after his first full term since 1968, when Lyndon B. Johnson did so in the face of opposition over the war in Vietnam. But Biden’s chosen successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, failed to win Tuesday, setting off a wave of introspection and finger-pointing among Democrats.
As he had before he dropped out of the campaign, Biden again stressed the need to “bring down the temperature” politically and said patriotism should not be dependent on party fortunes.
“We accept the choice the country made. 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,” he said.
BIden also pledged a peaceful transfer of power, a stance in contrast to Trump’s involvement in inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
“Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory, and I assured him that I would direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition,” Biden said.
Biden, who has held federal office almost continuously since 1973, urged his audience to continue to work hard during his administration’s final 72 days.
“Let’s make every day count,” he said.
