Democrat candidate Kamala Harris skips election night speech after Trump claims mandate

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Kamala Harris accepts defeat in post-election speech

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s campaign announced she would not address supporters on election night, as US media projections showed Donald Trump on the brink of a second term.

The Republican candidate made a “victory” speech on Tuesday night, saying: “America has given us an unprecedented mandate, we are going to heal our country.”

However, the supporters of Harris hoped for an 11th-hour turnabout as the US VP said they still had votes to come.

Economic Times reported that Democratic campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond informed a watch party at Howard University, stating: “You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow.”

At the election watch party hosted by Howard University students in Washington, DC, a mix of emotions filled the room as early projections placed Trump ahead. Disheartened by the numbers, some attendees left early.

By Wednesday morning, CNN showed Trump with 266 electoral votes to Harris’s 195, with the required 270 to win.