A CONVINCING VICTORY, A VICTORY FOR ‘WE THE PEOPLE’: PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN

US President-elect Joe Biden officially declared victory Saturday, pledging to be a president who will work to mend the nation’s divisions and “make America respected around the world again.”

Biden gave a message of unity, and promised to lead for all Americans, regardless of who they voted for. He said the coronavirus would be his first priority and hailed his historic vice-president-elect Kamala Harris.

“The people of this nation have spoken, they delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for we, the people,” Biden told a crowd of supporters at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware. “I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but unify, who doesn’t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.

Directly addressing outgoing US President Donald Trump’s supporters, Biden said he understands their disappointment, but indicated now is the time to give each other a chance to move forward together.

“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperate, see each other again, and listen to each other again. And to make progress we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans,” he said in his first speech since winning the White House.

#JoeBidenKamalaHarris2020 Biden and #KamalaHarris Harris are joined by their families on stage as they celebrate their projected victory in #Election2020 #JoeBiden #KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/WPmMsRyo2e

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) November 8, 2020

Biden said he is proud of the diverse society that elected him and Kamala Harris the first woman vice president.

“I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse coalition in history,” Biden said, singling out the support from Black voters who gave his campaign new momentum during the Democratic primaries.

“The African American community stood up for me. You’ve always had my back and I will always have yours,” Biden said.

Biden acknowledged the divisive campaign and the polarisation of American politics evident in the contest.

“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again,” he said.“We have got to stop treating our opponents as enemies. They are not enemies. They are Americans.”

“Our work begins with getting COVID under control,” Biden said, adding that he will announce on Monday a task force and a plan to deal with the pandemic.

“That plan will be built on bedrock science,” he said. “I will spare no effort, none… to turn around this pandemic.”

Vice president-elect Harris said that it was the supporters of Harris and president-elect Joe Biden who “when our very democracy was on the ballot … ushered in a new day for America.

Harris says ‘democracy was on the ballot’, thanks voters

“And to the American people who make up our beautiful country. Thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices,” the history-making vice president-elect said.

“You chose hope and unity decency, science and yes, truth. You chose Joe Biden as the next president,” Harris said.

“Joe Biden is a healer. He is a tested and steady hand. A person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us as a nation reclaim our own sense of purpose and a man with a big heart, who loves with abandon,” she said.

Earlier Saturday, Biden was projected to win the crucial state of Pennsylvania, and with a victory there surpassed the necessary 270 Electoral College votes needed to claim the White House, according to The Associated Press and other news organizations.

Biden now holds a commanding 290 delegates after the AP also called the state of Nevada for the president-elect.

WATCH | Kamala Harris addresses the nation Saturday night for the first time as Vice President-elect #Election2020

#KamalaHarris #JoeBidenKamalaHarris2020 #JoeBiden #KamalaHarrisVP #USElectionResults2020 pic.twitter.com/qjSouQabB3

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) November 8, 2020

The states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Alaska remain outstanding several days after Tuesday’s election, but it is now mathematically impossible for Trump to win re-election without a major change in vote counts.

Biden’s victory makes Trump the first single-term president in nearly three decades. Trump has, however, vowed to pursue legal challenges to vote totals in several states.

Biden’s first address after news organisations projected him the winner of the presidential election has ended.

The evening ended with fireworks and drone display that spelt out Biden and 46 in the sky, as the song You make my dreams come true by Hall and Oates and The best by Tina Turner played.

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