In a plot twist no one saw coming—especially not Kamala Harris and her team—President Trump was gracious in victory. According to Chris Whipple’s new book, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, Harris called to concede the 2024 election expecting to be mocked or belittled. Instead, she got a dose of civility—and it completely scrambled the talking points her staff had prepped.
“I’m calling to concede. It was a fair election. The peaceful transfer of power is important,” Harris reportedly said on the call, managing to squeeze in a little jab with, “I hope you’re president for all Americans.” Translation: “I still don’t like you, but I guess I have to say this.” Yet rather than clap back with one of his trademark zingers, Trump responded with, “You’re a tough cookie. You were really great.” He even threw in a shoutout to her husband Doug Emhoff: “That Doug — what a character! I love that guy.”
Classy. Presidential. And completely disarming to a staff that was apparently so emotionally brittle they didn’t know what to do when their boogeyman didn’t show up with a flamethrower. One Harris aide actually called Trump’s response “manipulative” and declared him “a sociopath.” Because nothing says mental stability like having a breakdown over a polite phone call.
Whipple’s book paints an almost comical scene. The concession call itself almost didn’t happen due to technical glitches—Harris’ staff had to literally press two phones together just to connect the call. Real high-tech operation going on over at Camp Harris. Once connected, Harris reportedly “felt the weight of the crushing defeat” upon hearing Trump’s voice. Of course, she did—because nothing hits quite like reality.
But it’s not just Harris catching heat in Whipple’s tell-all. According to another excerpt, Biden’s own team knew he was barely functional before the first debate. Ron Klain admitted that Biden appeared “aloof and confused,” was dozing off during prep, and seriously believed that staring at Trump would somehow expose him as “an idiot.” Instead, it was Biden who looked completely out of his depth—and voters noticed.
So here we are: Trump, measured and magnanimous in victory; Harris, stunned; and Biden’s team, full of regret. Whipple didn’t write a book—he wrote the obituary for the Democrats’ 2024 campaign strategy.