Kamala Harris emphasised that she will not back down after losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.
In a statement, she vowed to remain a vocal and active presence in politics, refusing to "go quietly into the night".
Also read: Elon Musk-Donald Trump Bonhomie: Once a non-supporter, how Musk became Trump's 'first buddy'
“You all know me because we have spent long hours, long days and months and years together,” Harris said as she completed the tradition of signing the vice president’s desk drawer, according to a report by the New York Post.
“It is not my nature to go quietly into the night. So, don’t worry about that,” the outgoing vice president added.
Harris signed her name alongside former vice president Dick Cheney, in a ceremony that stretches back to the 1940s.
The desk, which has been used by every vice president since Lyndon B. Johnson, has been a part of the White House collection since 1902.
Harris is the first female and second minority to serve as the vice president of the United States.
“It is the work of caring about our country,” Harris said of the vice presidency. “It is the work of understanding we hold these offices in the public trust with the duty and the responsibility to uphold the oath we take to respect, to defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Biden wraps up presidency in South Carolina
On the eve of his term's conclusion, President Joe Biden visited South Carolina, a state central to his political journey. He was joined by First Lady Jill Biden as the couple attended several Sunday events in the state.
Biden began his day at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, where he worshipped and spoke about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., aligning his visit with Monday’s federal holiday honouring the civil rights leader.
Following this, the Bidens toured the International African American Museum, located on a site where tens of thousands of enslaved Africans were brought to the US between the late 1760s and 1808.
The outgoing US president also shared a farewell video on social media platform X, highlighting the accomplishments of his tenure. Biden wrote, "I'm proud to be handing off an America that is stronger, more prosperous, and more secure."
(With inputs from agencies)