Unity, grace in defeat, an acceptance that the people have spoken…. These have been themes of concession speeches by losing presidential candidates stretching back decades. As Donald Trump continues to dispute the results of the 2020 election, here is a look back at how previous White House hopefuls have handled their defeat in recent elections.
"This is the way we see it, this is how the country should see it, that the people have spoken and we respect the majesty of the democratic system," said George WH Bush after losing the 1992 election to Bill Clinton in 1992.
John Kerry, meanwhile, vowed that while 'it is vital that every vote count, and that every vote be counted" the outcome of the election "should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process".
And John McCain hushed boos from the crowd as he congratulated Barack Obama in 2008 "on being elected the next president of the country that we both love".
