12:29 p.m. ET: Obama concludes his speech by saying, “I have said before, I think of this job as being a relay runner. You take the baton. You run your best race. And hopefully by the time you hand it off, you’re a little further ahead. You’ve made a little progress. And I can say that we’ve done that and I want to make sure that handoff is well executed, because ultimately we’re all on the same team. All right. Thank you very much, everybody.”
12:28 p.m. ET: “Secretary Clinton said this morning fighting for what is right is worth it. Sometimes you lose an argument. Sometimes you lose an election. You know, the path that this country has taken has never been a straight line. We zig and zag and sometimes we move in ways that some people think is forward and others think is moving back. And that’s OK. I’ve lost elections before. Joe [Biden] hasn’t,” he says, looking over at the vice president of the United States with a smile. “That’s the way politics works sometimes. We try really hard to persuade people that we’re right, and then the people vote and then if we lose we learn from our mistakes do some reflection, we lick our wounds, we brush ourselves off and we get back in the arena. We go at it. We try even harder the next time. The point, though, is that we all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens, because that is essential to a vibrant democracy. That’s how this country has moved forward for 240 years. That’s how we’ve pushed boundaries and promoted freedom around the world. That’s how we’ve expanded the rights of our founding to reach all of our citizens. It’s how we have come this far. And that’s why I’m confident that this incredible journey that we are on as Americans will go on. And I’m looking forward to doing everything that I can to make sure that the next president is successful in that.”
12:25 p.m. ET: “So this was a long and hard-fought campaign. A lot of our fellow Americans are exalted today and a lot of Americans are less so, but that’s the nature of campaigns. That’s the nature of democracy. It is hard, and sometimes contentious and noisy. It’s not always inspiring,” he says. “But to the young people who got into politics for the first time and may be disappointed by the results, I just want you to know, you have to stay encouraged. Don’t get cynical. Don’t ever think you can’t make a difference.”
12:24 p.m. ET: “That’s what the country needs. A sense of unity, a sense of inclusion, a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law and a respect for each other. I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition, and I certainly hope that’s how his presidency has a chance to begin. I also told my team today to keep their heads up, because the remarkable work that they have done day in, day out, often without a lot of fanfare, often without a lot of, a lot of attention — work in agencies, work in obscure areas of policy that make government run better, and make it more responsive, and make it more efficient and make it more service-friendly so that it’s actually helping more people, that remarkable work has left the next president with a stronger, better country. Better than the one that existed eight years ago. So win or lose in this election, that was always our mission,” he continues. “That was our mission from day one. And everyone on my team should be extraordinarily proud of everything that they have done. And so should all the Americans that I’ve had a chance to meet all across this country. We do the hard work of building on that progress every single day. Teachers in schools, doctors in ER clinics. Small businesses putting their all into starting something up. Making sure they’re treating their employees well. All of the important work that’s done by moms and dads and families and congregations in every state. Perfecting this union.”
12:23 p.m. ET: “Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election, but the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first. We’re not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country. That’s what I heard in Mr. Trump’s remarks last night. That’s what I heard when I spoke to him. Directly. And I was heartened by that.”
12:22 p.m. ET: “And she could not have been a better secretary of state. I’m proud of her. A lot of Americans look up to her. Her candidacy and nomination was historic and sends a message to our daughters all across the country that they can achieve at the highest levels of politics. And I am absolutely confident that she and President Clinton will continue to do great work for people here in the United States and all around the world.”
12:20 p.m. ET: Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, walks up to the podium to address the country. “Yesterday before votes were tallied I shot a video some of you may have seen in which I said to the American people, regardless of which side you were on in the election, regardless of whether your candidate won or lost, the sun would come up in the morning. And that is one bit of prognosticating that actually came true. The sun is up, and I know everybody had a long night. I did as well. I had a chance to talk to President-elect Trump last night, about 3:30 in the morning I think it was, to congratulate him on winning the election, and I had a chance to invite him to come to the White House tomorrow to talk about making sure that there is a successful transition between our presidencies,” he says.
“Now, it is no secret that the president-elect and I have some pretty significant differences. But, remember, eight years ago President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences. But President Bush’s team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition so that we could hit the ground running. And one thing you realize quickly in this job is that the presidency and the vice presidency is bigger than any of us. So I have instructed my team to follow the example that President Bush’s team set eight years ago and work as hard as we can to make sure that this is a successful transition for the president-elect. Because we are now all rooting for a success and uniting and leading the country. A peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. And over the next few months we are going to show that to the world.”
“I also had a chance last night to speak with Secretary Clinton, and I just had a chance to hear her remarks. I could not be prouder of her. She has lived an extraordinary life of public service,” he continues. “She was a great first lady. She was an outstanding senator for the state of New York.”
Original story below:
President Barack Obama will make a speech on Wednesday, November 9, at 12:15 p.m. ET regarding Donald Trump’s shocking victory over Hillary Clinton in this year’s presidential election. You can watch the livestream (via the White House) and follow along in our live blog of his speech, updated in real time.
Obama, 54, is set to address Trump’s stunning upset in a speech delivered from outside the White House’s Cabinet Room. Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama called Trump, 70, and invited him to the White House, according to USA Today. Earnest said the meeting would focus on the presidential transition and “what steps we can take as a country to come together after this hard-fought election season.”
Prior to Obama’s speech, Clinton, 69 — who the 44th commander-in-chief supported throughout her campaign — made her concession speech from the Grand Ballroom of NYC’s New Yorker Hotel.
“I still believe in America, and I always will,” she told her staff and supporters. “And if you do, we must accept this result. … We owe [Trump] an open mind and the chance to lead.”
As previously reported, the former secretary of state chose not to speak to her legions of supporters at Manhattan’s Javits Center following the stunning results, which dragged on late into the night on Tuesday. Instead, Clinton and her family headed back to the Peninsula Hotel, where they retired for the night.
Though Clinton lost, Obama showed his support for her until the end. At July’s Democratic National Convention, the president — who most recently stood alongside the POTUS hopeful during a rally on Monday, November 7, at the Independence Mall in Philadelphia — said that “there has never been a man or a woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America.”
