Barack Obama finally reacted to the 2024 presidential election results after Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her concession speech.

The former president and former first lady Michelle Obama‘s statement congratulating Donald Trump but acknowledging ‘this is obviously not the outcome we hoped for.’

The couple got increasingly involved in the 2024 race and hit the campaign trail for Harris in the final weeks leading up to November 5.

But even the Obamas’ coattails, and the star power that came with it, couldn’t bring Harris over the finish line. 

The joint statement from Barack and Michelle Obama noted that ‘America is not immune’ to having an electorate that reacts accordingly to the conditions of the country, which ultimately led to sweeping victories for Republicans across the country and in national and state-wide races.

‘America has been through a lot over the last few years,’ the former first couple wrote.

‘In a country as big and diverse as ours, we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything,’ the statement admits. ‘But progress requires us to extend good faith and grace – even to people with whom we deeply disagree.’

The statement was released to X shortly after Harris delivered remarks from her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon where she officially and publicly conceded the election to Trump. 

Harris told her tearful fans in D.C. on Wednesday to keep fighting as she conceded defeat. 

The devastated and emotional vice president admitted ‘this is not what we wanted’ as her voice shook when speaking almost 12 hours after the race was officially called for her Republican opponent. 

She vowed to help with the peaceful transfer of power and said she had spoken with the former president, which earned her some boos from her loyal supporters gathered at Howard University. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the former president swept five of the seven swing states and in the final two – Arizona and Nevada – the odds are leaning in his favor. He’s well on his way to taking 300 Electoral College votes, which will further cement his commanding victory. 

‘While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,’ Harris said.