President-elect Joe Biden: It’s time for America to unite and heal
Joe Biden said he wants to unite America (Paul Sancya/AP)
Joe Biden has promised to be a president for all Americans regardless of who they voted for as he defeated Donald Trump in the nail-biting race for the White House.
The former vice president clinched victory after winning the key battleground of Pennsylvania on Saturday – some four days after polls closed – pushing him over the 270 electoral college votes threshold.
Democratic candidate Mr Biden said he is “honoured” that America has “chosen me to lead our great country”, adding that it is time for the US to “unite” and “heal”.
Shortly before 10pm, the president posted his first tweet since the US election was called for his opponent.
Mr Trump wrote: “THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS.
“I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES.
“BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!”
He followed it up with: "71,000,000 Legal Votes. The most EVER for a sitting President!"
A little earlier, Mr Trump, who has yet to concede, left the White House to play golf.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was among the world leaders to congratulate the former Vice President Biden on his victory.
Mr Martin said that Mr Biden “has been a true friend of this nation throughout his life and I look forward to working with him in the years ahead.
“I also look forward to welcoming him back home when the circumstances allow!”
He added: “I also wish to congratulate Kamala Harris on her election as Vice-President and recognise the tremendous significance of her election to the role.
“I am greatly looking forward to working with the new Administration in the period ahead in progressing international peace and security.”
Mr Martin pledged to make progress on the issue of the undocumented Irish immigrants in the US, of which there are some 50,000.
Mr Biden, who is expected to address the nation at around 1am Irish time, said on Twitter: “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.”
In a statement, he said he is “honoured and humbled” by the trust the American people have placed in him and Ms Harris.
“In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.
“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,” he said.
Former president Barack Obama said he “could not be prouder” to congratulate Mr Biden and Ms Harris, saying: “We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be president and already carries himself that way.
“Because when he walks into the White House in January, he’ll face a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming president ever has – a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril.
“I know he’ll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart, whether or not he had their vote.”
Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton hailed Mr Biden and Ms Harris as “a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America”.
Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, posted: “America has spoken and democracy has won.
“Now we have a President-Elect and Vice President-Elect who will serve all of us and bring us all together.”
Meanwhile, Mr Trump said in a statement he considers the election “far from over” as he repeated unsubstantiated claims of fraudulent ballots and vowed to press ahead with legal action.
He said: “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. The simple fact is this election is far from over.”
Mr Trump added: “Beginning (on) Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.”
On Saturday morning, a top election official dismissed Mr Trump’s claims of voter fraud.
Mr Trump posted a number of tweets on Saturday, alleging that “bad things” happened, referring to votes being “illegally received” and insisting he has won “by a lot”.
But Federal Election Commission commissioner Ellen Weintraub said there has been no evidence of voter fraud.
Speaking on CNN after Mr Trump’s string of tweets – which were flagged by Twitter as containing information about the election that may be “misleading” – Democrat Ms Weintraub said: “State and local officials, and poll workers throughout the country, really stepped up.
“And there have been very few complaints about how this election has run.
“Very few substantiated complaints, let me put it that way. There is no evidence of any kind of voter fraud.
“There is no evidence of illegal votes being cast.”
Her comments came after Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that tens of thousands of votes were “illegally received” after 8pm on Tuesday “totally and easily changing the results in Pennsylvania and certain other razor thin states”.
He later tweeted: “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!”
Twitter flagged this tweet, saying official sources may not have called the race when it was tweeted.
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