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Democrat Joe Biden has attacked Trump’s refusal to admit defeat, calling the attacks on elections and election officials “simply inconceivable” and the attempts to overturn the result as an “abuse of power.”
The comments come as Biden won the state-by-state Electoral College vote that formally determines who the next president of the United States is.
The victory has almost wiped out the president Donald trumpThe faltering campaign to reverse his defeat in last month’s US presidential election.
California, the most populous state, gave its 55 electoral votes to Mr biden Monday afternoon, officially assuming the 270 votes needed to secure the White House.
When all the states finish voting, Biden is expected to lead Trump 306-232.
Addressing the nation from his former home in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said: “If anyone didn’t know before, we know now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy.
“The right to be heard. To have your vote counted. To elect the leaders of this nation. To govern ourselves.”
Biden said politicians in the United States “don’t take power, people give it to them,” adding: “Nothing, not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power, can put out that flame.”
He also renewed his campaign promise to be a president for all Americans, whether they vote for him or not, and said the country has a lot of work ahead of it on the coronavirus and the economy.
Donald Trump’s fate was possibly sealed long ago
Hours after Biden was confirmed as the winner in the US presidential race, Russian leader Vladimir Putin offered his congratulations to the former vice president.
Putin had been remarkably calm in the weeks following the elections, but in a statement, the Kremlin said on Tuesday: “Putin wished the president-elect much success and expressed confidence that Russia and the United States, which have a special responsibility in the world security and stability, could, despite their differences, really help solve the many problems and challenges facing the world. “
It comes as Trump announced that Attorney General William Barr would be stepping down.
He resigns amid persistent tension with the president over Trump’s election fraud allegations and the investigation into Biden’s son Hunter.
“According to the letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family,” Trump tweeted.
We’ve seen many end-of-the-road moments for Trump, but today is one of the most important.
After multiple failed legal challenges to revoke the elections, it was time for 538 voters to meet in their respective states to cast their votes for the president and vice president.
Joe Biden addresses the nation from Wilmington, Delaware
The states have been certifying their results in what has been a kind of approval exercise, although fundamental to consolidating victory.
It usually happens without much fanfare or comment. It’s generally a dry and procedural matter, but Trump’s refusal to accept Biden as the winner jeopardized the occasion.
In Michigan, the state capitol was closed to the public due to perceived “credible threats of violence,” an official said.
In Arizona, voters had to cast their votes in a secret location due to threats.
The president may have managed to cast doubt on the electoral process among some of his followers, but voters in the key states in which he has been trying to recover, reaffirmed their defeat.
Biden not only won the 2020 election, but decisively, reclaiming the all-important Rust Belt, but also upset decades of Republican rule in Arizona and Georgia.
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Stacey Abrams, a key constituent in boosting the vote for Biden in Georgia, reminded the country of the challenge ahead. The United States, he said, is still grappling with “who we pretend to be as a nation.”
In previous years, so-called infidel voters, who deviate from the popular vote, have been a factor in the electoral college vote. It’s rare, but this year, there has been little talk of people switching from Biden to Trump in any meaningful way to change the outcome.
Arguably, Trump’s fate was sealed long ago. But on Friday came a critical blow. The Supreme Court, filled with three conservative justices he elected, rejected his last-minute offer to overturn the election based on a lawsuit from Texas.
He tried to remove voters in some states before today’s vote, but the country’s highest court refused to support that effort.
Members of the Wisconsin Electoral College cast their votes
The next big moment for the electoral process is January 6, when Congress meets to count the electoral votes. At that time, the winner will be announced by Mike Pence, who is presiding over the Senate as Vice President.
Mr. Biden will take office at the inauguration on January 20. It seems unlikely that we will see a major concession from Trump between now and then. He already has the prospect of announcing an offer for 2024, the same day.
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