After a long week of waiting for the results of mail-in ballots to be counted in various states, the results of the contested presidential election are finally in. The Associated Press announced early in the afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 7 that former Vice President Joe Biden had won the 2020 presidential election.
Results from Pennsylvania, Biden’s home state in which he grew up, helped push him to the 270 electoral votes needed in order to win the election.
Recent electoral maps put President-Elect Biden at 290 electoral votes, and President Trump with 214 electoral votes. 34 electoral votes have still yet to be called, as more mail-in votes are counted. Even if Trump were to win the 34 electoral votes still up in the air, it would still leave him far behind Biden.
According to the Associated Press, NPR and Politico, President Trump is the first incumbent president to lose reelection since 1992.
The Trump campaign is pushing forward with legal actions, stating that there was fraud from the Democratic Party and Biden’s team.
In a statement from the president, the Associated Press reports that Trump said his campaign would “take unspecified legal actions.” Trump has repeatedly been seen to refuse to accept a peaceful transfer of power if he were to not be reelected.
Over the weekend, Trump went golfing at one of his courses in Virginia when the results were announced. On his way back to the White House, he was met with people cheering for his loss, and holding their middle fingers up at his car.
Shortly after the announcement of Biden’s win, Americans began flooding the streets, cheering at the results. Parties from New York, to Philadelphia, to Boston were seen as people cheered for the victory of Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris.
“Moments after the race was called for Biden, a crowd was already gathering inside a fenced area of Wilmington, playing music and hoisting handmade signs with messages of congratulations for Biden and Harris,” reported Politico.
Various world leaders have given their congratulations to Biden and Harris.
Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, stated in an official statement:
“Canada and the United States enjoy an extraordinary relationship—one that is unique on the world stage. Our shared geography, common interests, deep personal connections, and strong economic ties make us close friends, partners, and allies. We will further build on this foundation as we continue to keep our people safe and healthy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and work to advance peace and inclusion, economic prosperity, and climate action around the world.”
“I look forward to working with President-Elect Biden, Vice President-Elect Harris, their administration, and the United States Congress as we tackle the world’s greatest challenges together,” continued the statement.
Other leaders around the world sent their congratulations to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, including German Chancellor Angela Merkell, French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Joe Biden now becomes the oldest man elected president at age 77. He is also the first former vice president to win the presidency since George H.W. Bush in 1988, and the second Roman Catholic to be elected president.
Kamala Harris becomes the first female, the first Asian American, and the first black woman to fill the vice presidential seat.
Biden won the popular vote with over 74 million votes, the most any presidential candidate has won, breaking former President Barack Obama’s record in 2008.
The president-elect stated on Saturday night in his victory speech: “I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but unify, who doesn’t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.”