‘It’s time to heal’ a deeply divided America, says President-elect Biden

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE / WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden declared it was “time to heal” a deeply divided America in his first speech after winning a bitter election, even as President Donald Trump refused to budge and went ahead with the legal struggles against Salir.

Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania on Saturday put him above the threshold of the 270 Electoral College votes he needed to win the presidency, ending four days of scathing suspense and sending his supporters to the streets of major cities in celebration.

“The people of this nation have spoken. They have delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, “Biden said honking and cheering for his fans in a parking lot in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

The Democrat promised that, as president, he will seek to unify the country and “rally the forces of decency” to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuild economic prosperity, secure health care for American families and eradicate systemic racism.

Without addressing his Republican rival, Biden directly addressed the 70 million Americans who voted in support of Trump, some of whom took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against the results.

“For all of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight. I’ve gotten lost a couple of times. But now, let’s give ourselves a chance. It is time to put aside the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to us again, “he said. “This is the time to heal in America.”

He also thanked black voters, saying that even at the lowest moments of his campaign, the African-American community had stood up for him. “They always have my back and I’ll have yours,” he said.

Biden was introduced by his running mate, US Sen. Kamala Harris, who will be the first woman, the first African-American and the first American of Asian descent to serve as vice president, the country’s second office.

“What a testament to Joe’s character is that he had the audacity to break down one of the most substantial barriers in our country and select a woman as his vice president,” Harris said.

The congratulations came from abroad, including those from conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making it difficult for Trump to push through his repeated claims, without proof, that the election was rigged against him. (See related story on page A6).

‘Far from ending’

Trump, who was playing golf when major television networks projected that his rival had won, immediately accused Biden of “rushing to falsely pose as the winner.”

“This election is far from over,” he said in a statement.

Trump has filed a series of lawsuits to challenge the results, but election officials in states across the country say there has been no evidence of significant fraud, and legal experts say Trump’s efforts are unlikely to be successful.

When news of Biden’s victory broke, cheers and applause could be heard across Washington, with people coming out onto balconies, honking car horns and banging on pots. Crowds of people flocked to the White House to rejoice outside a security fence as the sound of fireworks echoed in the distance.

Trump supporters reacted with a mix of disappointment, suspicion and resignation, highlighting the difficult task facing Biden in winning over many Americans, especially in more rural areas, who believe that Trump was the first president to govern with their interests at heart. .

“It’s disgusting and sad,” said Kayla Doyle, a 35-year-old Trump supporter and manager of the Gridiron Pub on Main Street in the small town of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. “I think it’s rigged.”

Angry pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” protesters gathered at state capitol buildings in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Protesters in Phoenix chanted, “We want audits!” One speaker told the crowd: “We will win in court!”

There were isolated instances of Trump and Biden supporters clashing, as occurred between two groups of about 100 each in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but there were no immediate reports of the violence many feared. The pro-Trump protests mostly faded as the results plunged.

Past and current political leaders also weighed in, including congratulations from former Democratic President Barack Obama, for whom Biden served as vice president, and Republican Senator Mitt Romney.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations of voting irregularities.

Trump’s allies made it clear that the president did not plan to budge anytime soon. A Trump loyalist said the president was not ready to admit defeat even though not enough ballots would be discarded in a recount to change the outcome.

“There is a mathematical certainty that he is going to lose,” said the loyalist.

Biden’s victory ends Trump’s chaotic four-year presidency in which he downplayed a deadly pandemic, imposed tough immigration policies, launched a trade war with China, broke international agreements and deeply divided many American families with its incendiary rhetoric, falsehoods and willingness to abandon democratic norms.

Difficult task ahead

For Biden’s supporters, it was appropriate for Pennsylvania to ensure their victory. He was born in the northeastern industrial city of Scranton and, promoting his middle-class credentials, secured the Democratic nomination with a promise to win back working-class voters who supported Trump in 2016.

He launched his campaign in Pittsburgh last year and closed it with a rally there on Monday. It was a close race in industrial states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, but Biden did enough to win.

He faced unprecedented challenges. These included Republican-led efforts to limit voting by mail at a time when a record number of people were required to vote by mail due to the pandemic, which has killed more than 237,000 people in the United States.

When Biden enters the White House on January 20, the oldest person to take office at 78, he will likely face a difficult task ruling in deeply polarized Washington, underscored by record turnout across the country.

Both sides characterized the 2020 election as one of the most crucial in American history, as important as the votes during the Civil War of 1860 and the Great Depression of 1930.

Biden’s victory was fueled by strong support from groups including women, African Americans, white voters with college degrees, and city dwellers. He beat Trump by more than 4 million votes in the national popular vote count.

Biden, who has spent half a century in public life as a US senator and vice president, will inherit a nation in crisis from COVID-19 and the related economic slowdown, as well as protests against racism and police brutality.

Biden has said his first priority will be to develop a plan to contain and recover from the pandemic, promising to improve access to testing and, unlike Trump, to follow the advice of leading scientists and public health officials.

In addition to tame the health crisis, Biden faces a great challenge to remedy the financial difficulties it has caused. Some 10 million Americans who were left without work during the coronavirus lockdowns remain inactive and federal relief programs have expired.

Biden has also vowed to restore a sense of normalcy in the White House after a presidency in which Trump praised authoritarian foreign leaders, scorned long-standing global alliances, refused to repudiate white supremacists and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the US electoral system.

Despite his victory, Biden will have failed to deliver the radical repudiation of Trump that Democrats hoped for, reflecting the deep support the president still retains.

This could complicate Biden’s campaign promises to reverse key parts of Trump’s legacy. These include deep Trump tax cuts that especially benefited hardline and wealthy corporations and immigration policies, efforts to dismantle the 2010 Obamacare healthcare law, and Trump’s abandonment of international agreements such as the agreement. Paris climate and the Iran nuclear deal.

If Republicans keep control of the United States Senate, they would likely block much of its legislative agenda, including expanding health care and fighting climate change. That prospect could hinge on the outcome of four undecided Senate races, including two in Georgia that won’t be resolved until the second round in January.

Haunting ending

For Trump, 74, it was an unsettling ending after a staggering political rise. The real estate developer who established a national brand as a reality TV personality upset Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency in 2016 in her first run for elected office. Four years later, he becomes the first US president to lose a re-election bid since Republican George HW Bush in 1992.

In the end, however, Trump failed to significantly broaden his appeal beyond a committed core of rural and working-class white voters who embraced his right-wing populism and “America First” nationalism.

Duane Fitzhugh, a 52-year-old teacher celebrating Biden’s victory outside the Trump Hotel in Washington, said it was as if an evil spell was being lifted.

“It is as if a cloak fell over the country four years ago and we have been waiting years for it to end,” he said.

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