Barack and Michelle Obama make sense of Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump

“Living in a democracy is about recognizing that each point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power,” said the former president and first lady in a joint statement.

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama broke their silence Wednesday evening after their friend Kamala Harris was defeated by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

“This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues,” said Obama in a joint statement with his wife, Michelle Obama. 

The political powerhouse couple, who both vigorously campaigned against Trump in the final weeks of the election cycle, added, “But living in a democracy is about recognizing that each point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power.”

In an act of civility, America’s first Black president and first lady congratulated President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, much like the Obamas welcomed Donald Trump and Melania Trump to the White House when he was elected in 2016.

Despite the loss for the Democrats, the Obamas said they “could not be prouder” of Vice President Harris and running mate Governor Tim Walz, who they called “two extraordinary servants” to “ran a remarkable campaign.”

“We will always be grateful to the staff and volunteers who pour their heart and soul into electing public servants they truly believed in,” they continued. 

The Obamas were incredibly vocal throughout the campaign trail, stumping for Harris and Walz. The historically politically reticent couple was especially critical of Trump’s character, warning voters about his embrace of racist ideologies, penchant for authoritarianism, and economic policies that would benefit himself and his wealthy allies. 

However, voters decisively selected Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States. Trump not only exceeded the needed 270 electoral votes to clinch the White House but could also win the popular vote after all votes are fully counted nationwide.

Former President Obama sought to provide a global context to Harris’ loss, acknowledging the impacts of the 2020 pandemic, which included “price hikes” and a “rapid change” in citizens feeling as if they are “treading water” economically “no matter how hard they work.”

“Those conditions have created headwinds for democratic incumbents around the world, and last night showed that America is not immune,” said Obama.

According to a report from Vox, “2024 was the largest year of elections in global history; more people voted this year than ever before. And across the world, voters told the party in power — regardless of their ideology or history — that it was time for a change.”

The Obamas said, “The good news is these problems are solvable.” However, they added that solving them will come down to Americans listening to each other and abiding by “the core constitutional principles and democratic norms that made this country great.”

“In a country as big and diverse as ours, we won’t always see everything. But progress requires us to extend good faith – even people with whom we deeply disagree,” they explained. “That’s how we’ve come this far, and it’s how we’ll keep building a country that is more fair and more, more equal and more free.”

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