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WASHINGTON – Joe Biden, drawing ever closer to victory after a bitter presidential election, called on Americans to turn the page on divisions when an irate Donald Trump warned him not to declare victory.
As returns from Pennsylvania and three other states made Trump’s path to a second term increasingly unlikely, Biden repeated that he believed he would win but said he would wait for the process to complete.
Instead, Biden delivered a late-night speech in the tone of a president-elect and vowed to address the COVID-19 pandemic when new cases on Friday hit a new record of more than 127,000 cases.
READ: Trump attacks US election results, Biden prepares to speak
“We must leave anger and demonization behind. It is time for us to come together as a nation and heal ourselves,” Biden said in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, accompanied by his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
“My responsibility as president will be to represent the entire nation,” he said, in stark contrast to Trump’s nearly four years of provocative rule.
Biden said he and Harris had already met with experts on how to control cases of COVID-19 that have “skyrocketed,” which has claimed more than 230,000 lives in the United States, more than in any other country.
READ: Biden takes the lead in Pennsylvania
“I want everyone to know that on day one, we are going to put into action our plan to control this virus,” Biden said.
“That may not save any of the lives that have been lost, but it will save many lives in the coming months.”
Biden’s lead grew inexorably in Pennsylvania, which would hand him the keys to the White House if he achieves his 20 votes in the Electoral College that determines presidential careers.
By late Friday he had a nearly 29,000 vote lead over Trump, though he was still within the narrow range that would likely trigger a recount.
