Harris concedes presidential election but not 'the fight that fueled this campaign'

Vice President Kamala Harris said her heart is "full of resolve" after losing the presidential election to former President Donald Trump.

"My heart is full today -- full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve," Harris said Wednesday at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington, D.C.

"The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But ... the light of America's promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up," Harris said.

Harris said she told Trump on the phone Wednesday that she'll help with a peaceful transfer of power, which got a cheer from the crowd at Howard.

"We must accept the results of this election," the vice president said.

"A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results," Harris said, alluding to Trump's refusal to acknowledge his loss of the 2020 election.

Harris stressed, "While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign."

"The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people -- a fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation -- the ideals that reflect America at our best," she said.

Harris vowed that she’ll "never give up the fight for a future ... where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body."

"We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence," she continued. "And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld."

She said that fight will continue "in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square."

"And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor," she said. "By always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve."

To her young supporters watching, the vice president said, "It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it's gonna be OK."

"Sometimes the fight takes a while. ... The important thing is don't ever give up," she said.

"This is not a time to throw up our hands, this is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together," she said.

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff waved to the crowd after her remarks as Harris' running mate, an emotional Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, looked on.

Harris' family, Walz's family, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Harris' campaign staff were also in attendance.

Harris' defeat came as Trump won the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin overnight. Trump won another swing state, Michigan, on Wednesday.

Trump's victory underscores just how deep voters' frustrations were surrounding inflation and immigration, Republicans' two top issues this election cycle as polls consistently showed Americans' unhappiness with how President Joe Biden handled them. Trump's return to the White House also suggests that Democrats were not motivated enough by the prospect of electing the first female president and that its base's fury over the Supreme Court's revocation of constitutional abortion protections has waned since 2022.

Biden plans to address the nation on Thursday.

ABC News' Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Will McDuffie and Tal Axelrod contributed to this report.