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Brian Lehrer: It's the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. Now we continue our WNYC Centennial Series, 100 Years of 100 Things. Today, for this post-election moment, it's thing number 37, 100 Years of Presidential Election: Concession Speeches. We'll play clips spanning from 1960 to yesterday afternoon. We'll reference the missing concession speech from 2020 and talk about ways to concede while continuing to fight for what the losing candidate thinks is right. With us for this, we're so happy to have once again, Alexis Coe, presidential historian, New America Think Tank fellow and author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, for which he was on the show, and the forthcoming, Young Jack: John F. Kennedy , 1917-1957. Alexis, thanks for joining our 100 Years of 100 Things series. Welcome back to WNYC.

Alexis Coe: Thank you for having me.

Brian Lehrer: Before we get to the archival soundbites plus one or two from yesterday, I gather you would like to go back more like 150 years and start with a concession speech, we definitely have no audio of because the technology didn't exist yet, from 1876.

Alexis Coe: I would. I think the first audio was in 1928, and I mention that because it's from a New Yorker. The New York governor and Democratic presidential candidate Al Smith gave the first public concession speech on the radio. What strikes me as really interesting about Samuel Tilden in 1876, who also played a huge role in the development of New York, is that he won the popular vote by a quarter of a million votes, and at the same time, he said, "I'm unwilling to plunge the nation back into a conflict."

We were barely a decade after the Civil War, and he chose the country over ambition. It was a divided country still, but he had one of the greatest lines, which is, "I can retire to private life with the consciousness that I shall receive from posterity the credit of having been elected to the highest position in the gift of the people without any of the cares and responsibilities of the office." I don't think we've ever seen such a good loser.

Brian Lehrer: Did he think he had actually won the Electoral College, or did he accept the fact that he won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote like Hillary, like Al Gore?

Alexis Coe: He believed he had won the popular vote. He was open to the idea that he had won the Electoral College, but he just simply wasn't willing to proceed in some sort of messy recount, which would have been very difficult then.

Brian Lehrer: All right, 1876. Jumping ahead by 84 years, and relevant to the fact that you have a JFK book coming out, here's a little bit of Richard Nixon after losing to Kennedy in 1960.

Richard Nixon: I have great faith that our people, Republicans, Democrats alike, will unite behind our next president in seeing that America and seeing-

Audience member: We want Nixon.

Speakers: We want Nixon.

Richard Nixon: That they will unite behind our next president in seeing that America does meet the challenge which destiny has placed upon us, and that challenge is to give the leadership to the whole world which will produce a world in which all men can have what we have in the United States, freedom, independence, the right to live in peace with our neighbors.

Brian Lehrer: There's, I think, a gracious Republican concession speech in 1980. I want to pair that before we talk about it with a, I think, similar sounding Democratic concession speech. Jimmy Carter in-- Did I say 1980? Nixon in 1960. This is Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Jimmy Carter: I urge all of you to join in with me in a sincere and fruitful effort to support my successor when he undertakes this great responsibility as President of the greatest nation on Earth.

[applause]

Jimmy Carter: Ours is a special country because our vast economic and military strength give us a special responsibility for seeking solutions to the problems that confront the world, but our influence will always be greater when we live up to those principles of freedom, of justice, of human rights for all people.

Brian Lehrer: Jimmy Carter, preceded by Richard Nixon. Now, I'm told we are seconds-- Oh, here we go. President of the United States, Joe Biden live.

Joe Biden: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, please.

[applause]

Joe Biden: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It's good to see you all, particularly good to see my granddaughter sitting in the front row here. Hi, Finn. How are you, honey? For over 200 years, America has carried on the greatest experiment in self government in the history of the world, and that's not hyperbole, that's a fact. We're the people. The people vote and choose their own leaders, and they do it peacefully, and we're in a democracy. The will of the people always prevails.

Yesterday I spoke with President-Elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory, and I assured him that I'd direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That's what the American people deserve.

Yesterday I also spoke with Vice President Harris. She's been a partner and a public servant. She ran an inspiring campaign, and everyone got to see something that I learned early on, to respect so much, her character. She has a backbone like a ramrod. She has great character, true character. She gave her whole heart and effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran.

The struggle for the soul of America since our very founding has always been an ongoing debate and still vital today. I know for some people it's a time for victory, to state the obvious. 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. You can't love your neighbor only when you agree.

Something I hope we can do no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans. Bring down the temperature. I also hope we can later rest a 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. I also hope we can restore the respect for all our election workers who busted their necks and took risks at the outset. We should thank them. Thank them for staffing voting sites, counting the votes, protecting the very integrity of the election.

Many of them are volunteers who do it simply out of love for their country. As they did their duty as citizens. I will do my duty as president. I'll fulfill my oath, and I will honor the Constitution. On January 20th, we'll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.

To all our incredible staff, supporters, cabinet members, all the people who have been hanging out with me for the last four years, God love you, as my mother would say, thank you so much. You put so much into the past four years. I know it's a difficult time. You're hurting. I hear you and I see you, but don't forget all that we accomplished. It's been a historic presidency, not because I'm president, because what we've done, what you've done, a presidency for all Americans. Much of the work we've done is already being felt by the American people, but the vast majority of it will not be felt over the next 10 years.

We have legislation we passed that's just only now, really kicking in. We're going to see over a trillion dollars worth of infrastructure work done, changing people's lives in rural communities and communities that are in real difficulty because it takes time to get it done, and so much more, it's going to take time, but it's there. The road ahead is clear, assuming we sustain it. There's so much we can get done and will get done based on the way the legislation was passed and it's truly historic.

We're leaving behind the strongest economy in the world. I know people are still hurting, but things are changing rapidly. Together, we've changed America for the better. Now we have 74 days to finish the term, our term. Let's make every day count. That's the responsibility we have to the American people.

Look, folks, you all know it in your lives. Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. 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 okay, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going, and above all, we need to keep the faith. I'm so proud to have worked with all of you. I really mean it. I sincerely mean it. God bless you all. God bless America, and may God protect our troops. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[applause]

Reporter: You are listening to live coverage from NPR's Morning Edition.

Brian Lehrer: We're back. President Biden live at the White House, there seconding Kamala Harris's concession speech from yesterday and making sure to reference the integrity of the electoral system and the peaceful transfer of power without explicitly calling out Trump by name for 2020, but we know what he was referring to. Biden also defended his record, including economic investments that people may not be feeling yet, and like Harris yesterday, he urged people to continue to stay engaged, continue to fight for what they think is right.

We continue now with our guest, presidential historian, Alexis Coe, in our 100 Years of 100 Things segment, which we just happen to be doing at this exact moment. Thing number 7, 100 Years of Presidential Election: Concession Speeches. Alexis, wasn't it nice of the president to decide to speak right in the middle of our concession speech segment, which we scheduled for this hour six months ago?

Alexis Coe: Yes, it was very nice, but it reminded me of a lot of the great things about the presidency of Joe Biden, about his very long career and a lot of the problems we will see ahead.

Brian Lehrer: It was in keeping, I think, with the themes of the clips that we played from the archives before the president started, Nixon in 1960, Carter in 1980, would you say

Alexis Coe: Yes, absolutely. Some of this is why we tend to parentify the presidents. It was the kind of talk that one wants to hear after a big disappointment. Take heart. There were personal notes. There was talk of unity and of the promise ahead and of American renewal.

Brian Lehrer: Let's go on to another concession speech. Again, to draw a contrast with Trump in 2020, we've played this clip in recent times before, and this maybe is the most outstanding concession speech in American history. Maybe it's like Tilden's from 1876 that you were talking about at the beginning of the segment.

People who were paying attention in 2000 knew about the battle over Florida, which was the decisive state that year between Vice President Al Gore and who became president-elect, George W. Bush. It took until December to settle that election, and it was only finalized when the Supreme Court stopped a recount that was taking place in Florida. It was really contentious. The Democrats definitely felt cheated. Maybe even they would have used, or maybe they did use at the time, I don't know, the term, that the election was stolen. Yet on the 13th of December, that's how long after election day, in 2000, Vice President Al Gore took the microphone and said this.

Vice President Al Gore: Now the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome, which will be ratified next Monday in the Electoral College. Tonight, for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.

Brian Lehrer: I remember doing this show, because this show already existed then Alexis, the next day and saying that I was moved by what Gore did. And the listener response was mixed. Some people agreed, some people said, "Hey, no, this election was stolen. We were cheated by a partisan Supreme Court. Bush is not a legitimate president or president-elect, and he shouldn't have done that." How do you remember 2000 if you were paying attention yet? I don't know how old you are.

Alexis Coe: It was my first presidential election which I could vote in. I remember it quite well. It was exciting and, looking back, probably influence my career trajectory, but it was also vexing because I watched a political process that did not seem fair. As I've learned more about it, the speech itself is really notable, particularly today, 20 years later. It sounds modern, but it's incredibly dignified. There's an emphasis on national unity. That's compelling even now, to hear him and to hear the way that he speaks. He defined much of my childhood.

I think what's also behind the scenes interesting that happened is he really did fight at the same time. I think that people felt well represented who had supported him and who had given their time and money and vote to him. He famously called Bush to concede after the defeat, and then hearing how close the election was, he called him again and said he wasn't conceding, and then right before this, right before what we just heard, he called him again and he conceded.

Brian Lehrer: We go on to 2016, a very different contentious circumstance, when, of course, Donald Trump won the presidency and Hillary Clinton lost. So many people expected Clinton to win that election. So many people were so alarmed over the prospect of Trump after the Access Hollywood tape, after many things that he did on the campaign trail that year that are similar to things that he did on the campaign trail this year. People were worried about democracy. People were already talking about the prospect of fascism in 2016. It was contentious for a different reason, and Hillary Clinton went to the microphone and said this.

Hillary Clinton: We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought, but I still believe in America, and I always will. If you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power, and we don't just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things, the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values, too, and we must defend them.

[applause]

Brian Lehrer: There's that phrase again, peaceful transfer of power. Alexis, of course, there was no allegation that that election was stolen, that it was rigged, that the electoral votes that were registered didn't really reflect the votes of the people, but it was still different from the earlier concession speeches that I think we've been playing in this segment, because, as Hillary said at the beginning of that clip, we've seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. Even after the divisions of Bush versus Gore, it was different in 2016. It was culturally different. I wonder if you think so, too, and if you heard that speech as being different from the ones we played from 1960, 1980, 2000.

Alexis Coe: Absolutely. In some ways it rhymes, but it's not exactly the same as the others. Donald Trump was the most untested of anyone we've heard thus far. Today. She said to give him a chance. We know now what he does in office, and so that is also quite different from what we've heard since.

The most significant difference to me is that it carries notes of warning about democracy's fragility, and we do not hear that. Everyone mentions the peaceful transition of power as almost an honorific. It was so interesting to be a Washington scholar and to find that to be something that dominated and still dominates the conversations that I have. I think the warning about democracy's fragility that I think now most Americans do see but was not a winning strategy, it's interesting to hear it now.

Brian Lehrer: We come to 2020, the exception to the rule, Donald Trump.

Donald Trump: My campaign vigorously pursued every legal avenue to contest the election results. My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in all future elections. Now Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power.

Brian Lehrer: That was the most gracious that Trump was at any time after the 2020 election, and including right up until today. He was at least acknowledging that the election was certified and he would hand it over to Joe Biden.

Alexis Coe: He did, yes. We have to also acknowledge that this happened after January 6th. He had incited an insurrection, and so there was a great deal of pressure. We know now from the books and the interviews that his hand was forced there. I think he was told to follow the teleprompter, but since then, he has said, and this is our president-elect now, that there will be no more elections. If that's the reform he's talking about, it's frightening.

Brian Lehrer: I think he was saying to add a little bit of uncertainty to that, that there would be such peace and happiness and prosperity in the land that it wouldn't be as compelling a need for people to vote. I'm not sure that he really said when his second term runs up, he's going to defy the Constitution and try to stay in power despite the two-term limit. Did you hear it that way?

Alexis Coe: I didn't hear him explicitly say that, no, but I think that the implication of it and that when he tends to say things he tries to do them. It's important that we take it seriously.

Brian Lehrer: He did say just the other day that he shouldn't have left the White House on January 20, 2021, so he's still stoking those flames. By contrast, and with reference to what we were just discussing, here's Kamala Harris, a minute of her concession speech from yesterday afternoon.

Kamala Harris: Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it, but we must accept the results of this election. Earlier today, I spoke with President-Elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.

[applause]

Kamala Harris: A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny, and anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.

Brian Lehrer: Kamala Harris yesterday. Alexis, as we run out of time, she also, in that concession speech, said that she would continue to fight and that people should continue to fight. I think we heard that in the earlier clips that we played, going all the way back to 1960 and beyond. Was that classic, or given Trump being Trump, was that somehow new this year?

Alexis Coe: It wasn't just new, her speech in general, because of Trump being Trump, it was new in a lot of different ways. It's usually held in a ballroom. We didn't see that. We saw her at Howard University, her alma mater, but a, historically, Black university hosting a historic moment. It's also significant because of who she is and who she's conceding to, of course, but she is representing communities that he's explicitly threatened. She had a very similar message to what we've just heard from President Biden, which is that we need to keep fighting and that there is change and there are ways to see the America that you want on a local level, but it is going to take a lot of work.

Brian Lehrer: That's our latest 100 Years of 100 Things segment, number 37, 100 Years of Presidential: Concession Speeches with presidential historian Alexis Coe. Maybe you know her from her 2021 book, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, for which he was on this show and many others, and the forthcoming, Young Jack: John F. Kennedy , 1917-1957. Alexis, take this as an on-the-air invitation, when that book comes out, please come back.

Alexis Coe: Oh, thank you. That's such an honor.

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