Vice President Kamala Harris standing up her devastated Democratic supporters on election night is drawing attention to a similar choice by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in November 2016.
Both Democrats would have become the country’s first female president if they beat Republican rival Donald Trump.
In 2016, when the race was called for Trump, Clinton did not address her supporters until the following morning. Harris will speak to supporters Wednesday evening.
At the time, some critics blasted Clinton for not giving a consolation speech that same night at the Javits Center in New York. Clinton instead allowed her campaign manager, John Podesta, to briefly speak to supporters.
On the following day, Clinton urged her supporters to ‘accept this result, and then look to the future.’
‘Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead,’ she said.
Likewise, on Tuesday night, Harris supporters trickled out of the watch party at Howard University once they learned from a Harris spokesperson she would not be addressing the crowd.
Users on social media quickly took note and critiqued the VP for not showing her face after supporters waited hours for her to come out.
‘Kamala Harris had like 10,000 people at her watch party and didn’t even show up,’ one user on X wrote. ‘Apparently their time meant nothing to her. That final act is so reflective of why she lost.’
Another user wrote, ‘Harris didn’t even show up to her own campaign party last night to greet her supporters. It just goes to show what an elitist she is and messed up the party is to think this is ok.’
Harris called Trump on Wednesday to formally concede the race. Clinton called Trump on election night in 2016 to concede.
According to a staff memo sent out by Harris’ campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon obtained by Fox News, Dillon said, ‘Losing is unfathomably painful’ on Wednesday.
‘Just a few moments ago, the Vice President connected with President Trump to concede the race,’ the email read. ‘In the call, she told him that she would work with President Biden to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, unlike what we saw in 2020. She also made clear that she hopes he will be a President for all Americans.’
Harris was selected by the Democratic National Committee during the summer after President Biden dropped out of his re-election bid following his poor debate performance against Trump and just one week after an assassination attempt against Trump. Harris previously ran for president in 2020, but her campaign was short-lived. She dropped out in December 2019, citing lack of campaign funds.