President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday, delivering words of hope and perseverance, a stark contrast to his predecessor, former President. Barack ObamaStatement from the Vice President Kamala Harris‘ loss.

Harris lost to Donald Trump in the 2024 election, which was announced early Wednesday after winning Wisconsin. After Harris’ campaign ended, Democrats promised for a peaceful transition on January 20. Even so, Biden told the American public he was not “defeated,” while Obama in 2016 shared more about their “significant differences.”

“Setbacks are inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable,” Biden said Thursday. “We are all knocked down, but the measure of our character is how quickly we get back up, as my father would say. Defeat does not mean we are defeated.”

Biden, who withdrew from the presidential campaign in July to allow Harris to run, noted that while it is a “time of victory” for some people, it is a “time of loss” for d ‘others.

“Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country makes,” Biden said. “I have said it several times, you cannot love your country only when you win. You cannot love your neighbor only when you agree.”

Biden said he has spoken with both Trump and Harris since the results were announced. During his call with Trump, Biden said Trump assured him his administration would work with his team “to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition” when Trump is inaugurated.

The president, however, spoke of “lowering the temperature” across the country, and seeing each other not as “adversaries but as fellow Americans,” as well as people to “stay engaged” and “keep going.”

“We have lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling on you to rise again. This has been America’s story for over 240 years and it is not over,” Biden said. “This is the story of all of us, not just some of us. The American experiment endures.”

Eight years ago: Obama and Trump

In 2016, Obama noted that “everyone is sad when their side loses an election.” He called on people to remember that they are “patriots” first rather than their party affiliations.

“It’s no secret that the president-elect and I have some pretty significant differences,” Obama said at the time, noting that it was the same for him and former President George Bush. “One thing you quickly realize in this job is that the presidency and vice presidency are bigger than any one of us… We all want the best for this country.”

Obama said in a call with Trump that they talked about a “sense of unity, of inclusion” and that he hoped Trump would “maintain that spirit throughout the transition.”

Like Biden now, Obama also promised a “peaceful transition of power”. However, he told his team to “keep their heads high”.

He also addressed young people in his 2016 speech, calling on them to “stay encouraged.”

“Don’t be cynical, don’t ever think you can’t make a difference,” Obama said. “A lot of our fellow Americans are elated today, a lot of Americans are less so, but that’s the nature of campaigns, that’s the nature of democracy. It’s difficult and sometimes controversial and loud and that’s not the case. It’s not always inspiring.”

Obama had been active in Harris’ campaign since it launched in July, releasing a video supporting her and his wife, former first lady Michelle. He had joined Harris in her efforts as the Democratic nominee during the final month of the campaign. He held rallies, recorded candidate-specific announcements and sent fundraising emails and mailers. At the Democratic National Convention, the two Obamas expressed support for Harris and encouraged Democrats to “do their part” to get her elected.

On Wednesday, Obama issued a statement to X, formerly known as Twittersaying that the election results were “clearly not what we had hoped for, given our deep disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole series of questions.