Joe Biden has delivered his victory speech as president-elect in Delaware tonight, addressing the country for the first time after being projected to win the 2020 presidential election earlier today. Following an introduction from vice president-elect Kamala Harris, Biden thanked voters and urged for unity.
"Let's give each other a chance," he told Americans who voted for President Trump. "It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric. Lower the temperature. See each other again. Listen to each other again. And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans."
He continued, quoting scripture, "The Bible tells us, to everything there is a season: a time to build, a time to reap, and a time to sow, and a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America."
Biden spoke in front of an invigorated crowd of supporters, who cheered and waved Biden-Harris merchandise from a parking lot in Wilmington, Delaware. Such high-energy, impromptu celebrations were seen across the country today as people cheered from their windows, gathered in the streets, and sprayed champagne in cities from New York to San Francisco. In Washington, D.C., people gathered in front of the White House to fête Biden's win.
"Tonight, the whole world is watching America," Biden later added in his speech. "And I believe at our best, America is a beacon for the globe. We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. I always believed we could define America in one word: possibilities."
The former vice president crossed the threshold of 270 electoral votes needed to win the race this morning after securing 20 votes from Pennsylvania, per CNN. Prior to the victory, the country watched with bated breath as ballot tallies rose and states in electoral maps slowly filled in red and blue. The wait for a winner was longer than usual considering the influx of mail-in ballots used due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the need for an accurate count amid an extremely close race.
Biden has broken the record for the most votes received by any presidential candidate in U.S. history, with over 74 million and counting. He leads President Trump in the popular vote by about 4 million at the time of writing. The president has not yet formally conceded, but has threatened legal action in multiple states to protest the results.
While Trump continues to refute the election results on Twitter, other tweeters watched and reacted to Biden's victory speech. Read some of their responses below.
