Biden says 'giving up is unforgivable,' assures peaceful transfer of power after Trump win

WASHINGTON ? President Joe Biden vowed Thursday he will ensure a peaceful transfer of power following President-elect Donald Trump's resounding election victory and told his supporters "a defeat does not mean we are defeated."

"Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable," Biden said in a short address from the White House Rose Garden. "We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character – as my dad would say – is how quickly we get back up."

Biden, two days after his vice president, Kamala Harris, lost the election to Trump, made it clear to Americans that he accepts the result. Trump famously refused to accept his loss to Biden four years ago.

"I know for some people, it's a time for victory ? to state the obvious," Biden said. "For others, it's a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made. I've said many times, you can't love your country only when you win."

He added: "On Jan. 20, we'll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America."

Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president in 78 days. For the past two-plus years, Biden has warned that a second Trump presidency would threaten American democracy. But in his speech, he did not address that concern and instead sought to ease the anxieties of Democrats.

"We lost this battle," Biden said of the 2024 election results. "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 American experiment endures. We're going to be OK, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going, and above all, we need to keep the faith."

Biden, 81, did not take questions from reporters following his address, which lasted about seven minutes. Following Trump's win, Biden has faced criticism from fellow Democrats for deciding to initially seek reelection despite concerns about his age, only to drop out with less than four months left until Election Day.

Biden called on Americans to "bring down the temperature" now that the election is over and said he hopes the 2024 election "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 said.

More: How Kamala Harris lost the election: The fatal flaws in a doomed election bid

In a stunning political comeback, Trump secured a sweeping victory, winning or holding comfortable leads in all seven swing states, making major gains across the country ? including with Latino and Black men ? and capturing at least 295 electoral college votes. The number will reach 312 if Trump wins Arizona and Nevada, where he is ahead.

Biden touted his White House record over the last nearly four years as a "historic presidency," pointing to his legislative record that includes historic spending on infrastructure and clean-energy production.

"Don't forget all that we accomplished," Biden said. "The work we've done is already being felt by the American people, and the vast majority of it will be felt over the next 10 days. The legislation we passed, it's just only now just really kicking in."

During a phone call Wednesday, Trump agreed to an invitation from Biden to meet with the outgoing president at the White House in the near future. On the call, Biden congratulated Trump on his victory and committed to a smooth transition, Biden said.

"I assured him that I direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That's what the American people deserve," Biden said.

In 2020, Trump did the opposite by pushing baseless allegations of voting fraud to try to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.

Trump has not spoken publicly since his remarks early Wednesday morning from West Palm Beach, Florida. The president-elect also hasn't posted on X or Truth Social since winning back the White House.

Biden initially sought reelection and secured the Democratic nomination during the party's primary. But amid growing pressure from top Democrats, he dropped out of the race weeks after a disastrous debate performance. His move paved the way for Harris to secure the nomination but left her with only 107 days to make her case to voters.

More: 'The light of America's promise': Harris concedes to Trump as Democrats enter political wilderness

In 2020, after Trump lost to Biden, the long-standing tradition of the sitting president hosting the president-elect was not followed. Trump also did not attend Biden's inauguration and has refused to concede the 2020 election to this day.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says 'giving up is unforgivable' after Trump's election win