Joe Biden wins Pennsylvania, becomes president-elect: AP
Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Saturday, defeating President Trump with a critical assist from his birth state, Pennsylvania, which delivered the votes to propel him to victory and end one of the most contentious elections in recent memory.
The win in the Keystone State — which came after five fraught days of counting and consternation — was called by The Associated Press at 11:25 a.m., with 99 percent of the votes counted.
“It’s time for America to unite. And to heal,” said Biden, 77, who is the first candidate to unseat a sitting president since 1992, when Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush.
“With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. There’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.”
Pennsylvania’s 20 Electoral College votes pushed the former vice president’s total tally to 284, well past the threshold of 270 needed for a national victory. Less than two hours later, Nevada was also called for Biden, extending his total to 290 to Trump’s 214.
With several states still up for grabs, the Democrat’s total is projected to match the 306 electoral votes that Trump himself won in 2016.
Trump vowed not to give up on his re-election hopes.
“The simple fact is this election is far from over,” he said in a statement from his campaign. “Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media.”
The stunning turnaround came after Election Day tallies gave Trump a commanding 600,000-vote initial advantage in Pennsylvania. But the Scranton-born Biden took the lead Friday morning after whittling down the gap as piles of mail-in ballots — employed extensively due to the coronavirus crisis — were counted.
With 99 percent of the expected vote tallied, Biden led in the state by some 37,000 ballots, a razor-thin 0.5 percent of more than 6.7 million votes cast — a new turnout record.
Biden made his case for the presidency by casting Trump as a danger to the nation and its democratic traditions. The strategy fueled passionate participation from voters of all persuasions.
Nationwide, Biden and Trump racked up the highest ballot totals in US history. The surge that helped Biden flip three key states — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — back into the Democrats’ column after Trump flipped them Republican in 2016.
“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 Saturday.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — who will be the first woman and first black person ever in the post — cast their victory as transcendent.
“This election is about so much more than Joe Biden or me,” she tweeted. “It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it.”
The two were set to address the nation Saturday night in a fireworks-studded celebration in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Del.
Harris, 56, shared a video of her congratulatory phone call to Biden.
“We did it. We did it, Joe. You’re going to be the next president of the United States,” Harris, dressed in shades and a jogging suit, said with a laugh.
Her husband, Doug Emhoff —soon to be the nation’s first-ever second gentleman — celebrated the win with a touching tweet.
“I’m so proud of you,” Emhoff wrote in a post with photo of him giving Harris a bear hug.
And Biden’s wife, Jill, posted a playful snap (inset) of herself and her husband holding a sign reading “Dr. and Vice President Biden Live Here” — with her hand covering the word “Vice.”
Kudos also poured in from Biden allies and world leaders.
President Barack Obama said he “could not be prouder” of his former veep.
“We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way,” Obama tweeted.
“I know that he’ll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart, whether or not he had their vote.”
Hillary Clinton, too, weighed in, tweeting: “It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. Onward, together.”
And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “We kept the republic! Congratulations to Joe Biden on his victory for the soul of our country. Congratulations to Kamala Harris for making history. It’s a time to heal and a time to grow together.”
Most to congressional Republicans kept mum. But Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah broke with his partymates, calling Biden and Harris “people of good will and admirable character.”
“We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead,” he tweeted.
World leaders sent congratulations throughout the day.
“The U.S. is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a Trump ally, tweeted.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a frequent Trump target, tweeted, “I’m really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both.”
From France, President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!”