US news networks have called in a victory for the Biden campaign in the 2020 US elections as it crossed the 270 vote threshold. After an exhausting 4 days of counting and many months of electioneering amidst the corona virus pandemic, the mood in America is a mixture of jubilation and resentment. Five states are yet to declare results.
Biden has the largest vote share seen in elections so far with 73 million votes as of now.
"America, I'm honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country. The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me," Biden tweeted.
Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden, 77, is projected to be the 46th President of the United States of America, along with first female Vice-President and running mate Kamala Harris. Exactly 160 years ago on this day, Abraham Lincoln assumed the office of President.
Outgoing President Donald Trump has now threatened legal action against the manner and number of votes counted and maintains defiance. Mail-in ballots have been a contentious issue in the election with Trump tweeting of massive "voter fraud" as the ballots turned the tide for Biden.
Biden's big breakthrough came around 9 am Friday EST when he broke into the lead in Pennsylvania and overtook Trump by 5000 votes, maintaining an uninterrupted lead from there on. A week before, Trump had mentioned his discomfort of having to campaign in states that he won comfortably in last election season.
In Delaware, the headquarter of the Biden campaign l and where he is leading by 30,000 votes, the mood is "joyous". A transition plan was revealed on their website two full days before the results, underscoring the quiet confidence of the campaign. Biden's empathy and targeted criticism of COVID-19 mismanagement and the lame-duck phase of the Trump Presidency is reportedly what has contributed to his stunning, albeit hard-fought, victory.
"I ask everyone to stay calm. The process is working," Biden had said earlier. "It is the will of the voters. No one, not anyone else who chooses the the president of the United States of America."