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What Concession Speeches Say About Politicians’ Souls — and Our Own

Supporters react as Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks, conceding the 2024 U.S. Presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump. Howard University in Washington. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Concession speeches can reveal a glimpse of a politician’s soul, a rare look behind a curated facade. All they have poured their life into, with boundless ambition, hope, and relentless energy, has been lost. They are laid bare, vulnerable. And their words now don’t have to be calculated or pretested by a focus group.

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