President Joe Biden sought to calm defeated Democrats on Thursday after Donald Trump’s landslide election victory, saying “setbacks are inevitable” and acknowledging that Republicans’ resounding outcome could be relied upon.

“Setbacks are inevitable, but giving up is inexcusable,” Biden said in his first public statement since Election Day. “We all fall down, but as my father said, the measure of our character is how quickly we get back up.”

The president also acknowledged the legitimacy of the election result, which was a far cry from the wildly contested election he won in 2020, touting the “integrity of the American electoral system.”

“It is honest, it is fair, it is transparent, and it can be trusted, win or lose,” Biden said.

Biden also summarized the work of his administration in his speech in the White House Rose Garden.

“Much of the work we do is already being felt by the American people,” he said, suggesting that much of it (including more than $1 trillion in infrastructure spending) will be felt over the next decade. “We have legislation that we have on record, but now it’s really coming into play.”

Biden also praised Vice President Kamala Harris, saying: “She ran an inspirational campaign and everyone learned something I learned early on, which is to have a lot of respect for her character. He has a backbone like a ramrod and a great character, a real character… He gave all his heart and effort. “He and his entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran.”

He also said he spoke with Trump after the race was officially called on Wednesday.

“Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his victory and assured him that I will direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition,” Biden concluded. “This is what the American people deserve.”