Joe Biden urged Americans to "bring down the temperature" following Republican Donald Trump's election victory.
In a speech to the nation he appealed for calm and pledged to oversee a smooth transfer of power after Democrat candidate Kamala Harris was comprehensively defeated on Tuesday.
He said: "I know for some people it is a time for victory, for others it is a time of loss... the country chooses one or the other.
"I have said many times you can't love your country only when you win, you can't love your neighbour only when you agree."
However, he urged Democrats to continue to work tirelessly for the policies they believed in saying “setbacks are unavoidable. Giving up is unforgivable.”
Speaking at the White House Rose Garden he added: “A defeat does not mean we are defeated.”
He added that Tuesday's election had proven the integrity of the US electoral system and unlike Trump in 2020 the Democrats would accept defeat.
Biden said: “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 lay to rest the 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.”
Biden invited Trump to come meet at the White House - a courtesy Trump did not offer to Biden in 2020 - and Trump's campaign said the president-elect would go.
In the weeks ahead, Trump will select personnel to serve under his leadership.
Some Democrats have blamed Biden, 81, for Harris' defeat, saying he should not have sought reelection in the first place. Biden only dropped his reelection bid in July after a poor performance in a TV debate with Trump raised alarm bells about his mental fitness.
"We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up," he added in his seven-minute speech on Thursday.
Harris in a speech on Wednesday promised to aid Trump's transition before his inauguration on 20 January but urged Democrats to continue to fight for what they believe in.
Some Democrats worried the loss means their values – left-leaning, socially liberal – are now firmly a minority among Americans.
Biden did not address his role in the election or criticism from members of his party. He has said repeatedly that he ran for office in 2020 to "restore the soul of America" from the chaos around Trump. Biden's own legacy now will be bookended by the Republican's return instead.
Trump's victory, surprisingly decisive after opinion polls had shown a neck-and-neck contest, underscored how disenchanted Americans had become with the economy - in particular inflation - along with border security and the direction of the country and its culture.
Hispanics, traditionally Democratic voters, and lower-income households hit hardest by inflation helped fuel Trump's victory.
Harris' campaign pressed the message that Trump was unfit to serve again as president, as a convicted felon and one whose false claims of voting fraud inspired a mob to storm the US Capitol in January 2021, in a failed bid to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden.
However, the majority of the electorate put their faith in Trump and his message to Make America Great Again.
Amongst his backers is multi-billionaire Tesla, X and SpaceX owner Elon Musk who is in line for an advisory role in his administration.
Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy J, billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson and investor Scott Bessent are also seen as possible cabinet officers in his administration.
Meanwhile world leaders including Sir Keir Starmer have sent messages of congratulations while Vladimir Putin decribed him as “brave” in a speech on foreign affairs on Thursday.
Trump has been critical of US assistance for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
He has said he could end the war in 24 hours but has not said how.
