It’s finally happened.
Several news outlets have announced a winner of the 2020 US presidential election.
It’s only been a few days since Election Day (3 Nov), but due to the anticipation, it’s certainly felt a lot longer.
Because of the record number of voters and mail-in ballots, counting votes has taken much longer than usual.
Even though two states have yet to tally all their votes, a winner has been projected, and it’s the one many Americans were hoping for.
Everything About Joe Biden’s Reported Victory as POTUS
Joe Biden was elected the 46th president of the United States on Saturday (7 Nov),
Biden had a sizeable lead in a few states for quite some time, but many news outlets were hesitant to call the race as there was still a way back for the sitting president.
But after Biden captured the state of Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, he had more than the 270 he needed to win the presidential race.
Shortly after, Biden was also projected to have won Nevada, giving him an additional six Electoral College votes.
If you’re confused about the electoral college system, you can read more about it here.
Biden is also winning the popular vote by quite a margin; Trump has so far garnered 70,686,229 votes, while Biden has 75,010,459.
The message is clear: most Americans want Biden as their leader.
Time For Nation to “Heal”
In his victory speech, Biden said it’s time for America to heal.
“I am honoured and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect (Kamala) Harris. In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted,” he 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.”
Biden, who will turn 78 in a few weeks, has run two unsuccessful presidential campaigns before this.
He has been in politics for 44 years, serving as a senator in the United States Senate from 1973 until 2009, when he became vice-president under Barack Obama.
Biden has said that the first thing he would do as president is to implement a national strategy to combat the coronavirus.
Kamala Harris Makes History
This election is also historic due to vice-president Kamala Harris’ victory.
Once she takes office, Harris will become the first woman and first woman of colour to become vice-president of the US.
The daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 2016.
Trump’s Response
Trump, who is only the third elected president since World War II to lose re-election, is not handling the loss well, to say the least.
“This election is far from over,” he said in a statement issued soon after Biden was announced the victor.
“Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner in any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts…” Trump said, in typical Trump fashion.
In essence, what Trump was really saying was:
Here’s Trump’s full statement:
INBOX: Statement from President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/LJxbbdQBJu
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) November 7, 2020
Even though Trump and his team have filed several lawsuits, alleging voter fraud and falsely claiming that Republican poll watchers were barred from observing the vote counting process, it will likely only delay the inevitable.
Others believe Trump is hesitant to leave the White House not just because he’s a bad loser, but because several lawsuits will be awaiting him on the outside.
In any case, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Trump congratulates Biden and welcomes him to the White House.
Which means that this transition of power, which is unlikely to be peaceful, will be as interesting as the presidential race itself.
You can read 10 facts about Joe Biden here, and 10 facts about Kamala Harris here.
Featured Image: Matt Smith Photographer / Shutterstock.com
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