Washington: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has defeated incumbent President Donald Trump, denying him a second term in the White House, Fox News projects, a victory for the former vice president after a bitter campaign and dramatic, prolonged vote count in battleground states sparking lawsuits from the Trump campaign.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris,” Biden said in a statement. “In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.”
He added: “With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.”
A year and a half after launching his White House bid, Biden secured enough states to put him over the threshold of 270 electoral votes and bring an end to the four game-changing years of the Trump presidency, according to a projection from the Fox News Decision Desk. For Trump, the loss comes four years after a stunning upset – when he came from behind in 2016 and outperformed the polls in a historic White House victory against the Democrats’ nominee, Hillary Clinton.
But in a statement Saturday, Trump did not concede and instead vowed to continue to fight.
“The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” the president said.
He added: “Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.”
The president has launched a series of legal battles over ballot counting in battleground states, with his campaign filing suits in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada as the states tallied votes sent by mail. Trump, his campaign and surrogates have spread allegations of fraud in the voting and ballot counting in various states, although solid proof of it has not emerged.
It’s unclear if the president may concede immediately. In addition, Georgia’s secretary of state signaled Friday the battleground state is headed toward a recount, given the razor-thin margin of votes there.