Why Kamala Harris Yet To Speak As Trump Wins

Despite the mounting evidence of Trump’s success across key swing states by Wednesday morning, Harris has yet to address the outcome publicly. She canceled her planned election night appearance at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., as initial results tilted strongly in Trump’s favor.

Trump claimed major battleground states, securing Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin to reach a decisive 279 electoral votes, with Harris trailing at 223. While a few states are still unannounced, Trump’s path to victory is clear.

This election’s key swing states, which returned to Democratic control in 2020, shifted back to Trump, reviving the Republican “Blue Wall” dominance in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Trump is also leading Harris in the popular vote, making him the first Republican to achieve this since George W. Bush in 2004.

While Harris secured liberal strongholds from New York to California, her 15-week campaign ultimately couldn’t gather enough nationwide momentum to defeat Trump. Initial exit polls suggest her focus on issues like abortion rights didn’t gain widespread support.

The vice-president’s silence contrasts with a senior Trump adviser’s expectation that she will soon call to concede, following the protocol Trump himself declined in 2020. Harris had been scheduled to address her supporters late Tuesday, but campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond announced her absence just after midnight, stating, “We still have votes to count.”

At Howard University, where celebratory energy had been high earlier, the mood shifted to disappointment as more swing states were called in Trump’s favor. Democratic fundraiser Lindy Li described the atmosphere as “pretty grim.”

Harris, 60, became the Democratic nominee in July after President Joe Biden withdrew under party pressure. Her victory would have marked a series of firsts, as she would have been the first woman, Black woman, and South Asian-American to hold the presidency. However, CBS exit poll data suggests Harris may not have performed as strongly as Biden did among women, winning 54% of female voters compared to Biden’s 57% in 2020. Support among Black and Latino voters also appeared slightly reduced compared to Biden’s numbers.

This election season saw 86 million Americans cast early ballots amid a particularly charged campaign cycle. In Congress, Republicans regained control of the Senate, reclaiming Democratic seats in West Virginia and Ohio while holding onto Texas in a hard-fought contest.

The House remains narrowly controlled by Republicans, though the overall balance is closely split. A Republican-led Congress could smooth Trump’s path for agenda items like tax cuts and stricter immigration policies.

Both parties had teams of lawyers ready for potential legal battles, with law enforcement on high alert for any unrest. Across the nation, 30 hoax bomb threats disrupted election-related sites, with over half targeting Georgia.

As the dust settles, Trump’s decisive return marks a reshaped political landscape and reflects a powerful Republican resurgence across the country.