After two failed runs at the highest office in the land, Joe Biden became president-elect on Saturday morning after winning the state of Pennsylvania, it has been confirmed.
The former vice president collects 273 Electoral College votes after winning Pennsylvania’s 20, passing the magic number of 270 to win the White House and defeat President Donald Trump.
Biden’s victory ends one of the longest and most tumultuous campaigns in modern history as he held socially distant rallies while slamming President Donald Trump for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden continuously slammed Mr. Trump and said this election was a “battle for the soul of America.”
Shortly after the race was called by the major networks, Biden released a statement and called for the country to unite, a key message from his speech the past few weeks.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris,” Biden said. “With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.”
Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, will become the first female, and the first person of color to serve as Vice President of the United States. Both will be sworn into office on January 20, 2021.
As president, Biden will immediately be confronted a divided nation in the middle of a delay pandemic that has killed over 230,000 Americans. Mr. Trump has said repeatedly he will not accept the outcome of the election.
Biden will become the oldest incoming president in U.S. history after first running for the office 30 years ago. As a moderate, his views on certain issues worried progressive Democrats but his appeal to work across the aisle with Republican colleagues was seen as a key trait.
In addition to winning the projected Electoral College vote, Biden also wins the popular vote and has set a record for winning the most votes of any candidate in U.S. history.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly and falsely declared victory, including in the states Michigan and Wisconsin where Biden is the projected winner. In a statement, the President released a statement hinting he is not ready to accept the results.
“We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed,” he said. “The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor.”
Mr. Trump’s motorcade was seen at the Trump National Golf Club, in Washington, D.C. As the race was called thousands of people took to the street to celebrate the historic moment and many gathered at the White House.
With 92 percent of the vote in, Biden led Trump 50.5 percent to 47.7 percent in the popular vote. As of this writing, Biden has 74,478,345 votes, the largest number of votes won in the U.S. by any presidential candidate.
