US President Joe Biden on Thursday morning delivered his first public remarks since the re-election of President-Elect Donald Trump on Tuesday.
"For over 200 years, America has carried out the greatest experiment in self-government in the history of the world. That's not hyperbole, that's a fact," Biden began. "Where the people vote and choose their own leaders and they do it peacefully, and where in a democracy, the will of the people always prevails."
"Yesterday, I spoke with President-Elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory and I assured him that I'd direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That's what the American people deserve," he stated.
Turning to his Vice President, Kamala Harris, who was defeated by Trump, he said, "Yesterday, I also spoke with Vice President Harris. She's been a partner and a public servant. She ran an inspiring campaign and everyone got to see something that I learned early on to respect so much: her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod. She has great character, true character. She gave her whole heart and effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the great campaign they ran."
"The struggle for the soul of America, since our very founding, has always been an ongoing debate and is still very vital today. I know for some people, it's a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it's a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. A country chooses one or the other," he said.
Biden declared, "We accept the choice the country made. I've said many times, 'You can't love your country only when you win. You can't love your neighbor only when you agree.' Something I hope we can do no matter you voted for is to see each other not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans, bring down the temperature."
He continued, "I also hope we can lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electoral system. It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent. And it can be trusted, win or lose."
Biden vowed that "I will do my duty as President. I will fulfill my oath and I will honor the Constitution. On January 20, we'll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America."
Addressing his supporters, Biden said, "Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable."
"Remember, defeat doesn't mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up. That's the story of America for over 240 years and counting. It's a story for all of us, not just some of us," the President said.
"The American experiment endures. We're gonna be ok. But we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going. And above all, we need to keep the faith," he said.