I’m ‘honored and humbled’, says President-elect, Biden

Biden has released his first statement since being projected the winner in the US presidential election.

Biden has reached 273 electoral vote needed to become the president in January, pending the outcome of any legal challenges.

• Biden wins US presidential election
• US election: Trump refuses to concede defeat, says Biden ‘rushing to falsely pose’ as winner

In his tweet @JoeBiden, he said: “I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect 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,” Biden said.

On the other hand, Donald Trump refused to concede defeat in the US presidential election.

He has accused Biden of “rushing to falsely pose as the winner” after television networks declared the Democrat’s victory.

“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,” Trump said.

“The simple fact is this election is far from over.”

Trump underlined that states had not yet certified the results, and his campaign has launched multiple legal challenges.

However, near complete results issued by each state showed an insurmountable lead for Biden, allowing network news channels to call the overall result, as they do every election.