After months of supporting Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama issued a statement on Wednesday acknowledging her loss in the 2024 presidential race.
“We obviously didn’t get the result we hoped for, given our strong disagreements with the Republican ticket on many issues,” the Obamas wrote in a social media post. “However, living in a democracy means understanding that our perspective won’t always prevail, and accepting the peaceful transfer of power.”
Both the Obamas spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August, held in their hometown of Chicago.
Michelle Obama inspired hope in her speech, urging the crowd at the United Center, “It’s the contagious power of hope, the anticipation of a brighter future, the chance to overcome fear, division, and hatred.”
Barack Obama, in his address, mocked Trump’s “odd fixation with crowd sizes,” drawing laughter from the audience.
Kamala Harris, who conceded her defeat at Howard University on Wednesday, echoed the Obamas’ sentiment, urging Democrats to keep pushing forward. “In a country as vast and diverse as ours, we won’t always agree. But progress means extending good faith and grace — even to those we disagree with. This is how we’ve advanced, and it’s how we will continue to build a fairer, more just, equal, and free nation.”
