Joe Biden said the "purpose of our politics is not to fan flames"
Credit: REUTERS
“No. The purpose of our politics, the work of the nation, isn’t to fan the flames of conflict but to solve problems.”
At another point Mr Biden said: “My responsibility as president will be to represent the whole nation.
“And I want you to know that I’ll work as hard for those who voted against me as those that voted for me.
"That’s the job. That’s the job. It’s called the duty of care, for all Americans.”
The speech barely mentioned Mr Trump by name, though throughout the message was a counterpoint to the heated rhetoric and controversial claims the president has made about the election.
At the time Mr Biden made the address, shortly before 11pm on Friday, the result of Tuesday’s election still had yet to be called by any of the major broadcasters.
However Mr Biden had substantial — in some cases, according to election experts, insurmountable — leads in four of the five battleground states which would decide the result.
As he spoke, he was around 4,000 votes ahead of Mr Trump in Georgia, 23,000 ahead in Nevada, 27,000 ahead in Pennsylvania and 30,000 ahead in Arizona. Mr Trump led in North Carolina. Mr Biden needed a few of those states, or just one in the case of Pennsylvania, to secure the 270 electoral college votes needed to take the presidency (see the latest figures below):
US Election article panel
The speech had been scheduled when it appeared that a result would be called on Friday but, as broadcast networks continued to hold back on a final declaration, he spoke anyway.
“The numbers tell us a clear and convincing story. We’re going to win this race,” Mr Biden said, speaking from a stage in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
Mr Biden, the former US vice president, said he would win in Pennsylvania and Georgia and was “winning” in Arizona and Nevada.
However the bulk of his speech was spent not looking back at the campaign and election that had been but the months that were to come.
Geographical US election map
The move appeared to be a deliberate attempt to signal that he believed the race was over, even as the result had not been called, and was moving forward with preparations for office.
Mr Biden vowed to implement a plan to fight back the Covid-19 pandemic should he enter office on January 20 2021, inauguration day.
“That can’t save any of the lives that have been lost, but it will save a lot of lives in the months ahead,” Mr Biden said.
Covid-19 cases have surged during the week of the election. The daily new US case count is now more than 100,000, well above the 75,000 peak of the second wave in the summer.
It emerged moments after Mr Biden spoke that Mark Meadows, Mr Trump’s chief of staff, had tested positive for Covid-19.
Mr Biden’s declaration that he had a “mandate” for change appeared in part a message aimed at Capitol Hill.
Mr Biden used his address to appeal to all Americans
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The US Senate may yet be held by the Republicans, setting up major battles over legislation with Mr Biden’s political opponents if he wins office.
There were also a number of veiled slights at Mr Trump, who is still continuing to claim he will win the election despite trailing Mr Biden in key battleground states.
“I know tensions can be high after a tough election like we just had. But we need to remain calm, patient, and let the process work out as we count all the votes,” Mr Biden said.
He added: “Democracy works. Your vote will be counted. I don’t care how hard people try to stop it. I will not let it happen.”
The Trump campaign has launched a blizzard of lawsuits, backing up Mr Trump’s provocative and unfounded narrative that the election is being “stolen” from him.
The Democratic nominee echoed themes from his White House campaign, but seemed to be framing himself already as the president-elected, even as the result was not a certainty.
“We may be opponents but we are not enemies. We are Americans,” Mr Biden said at one point, returning to his theme about the need for the country to unify.
He added: “The vast majority want to get the vitriol out of our politics. We’re certainly not going to agree on a lot of the issues. But we can at least agree to be civil to one another.
“We must put the anger — and the demonisation — behind us. It’s time for us to come together as a nation and heal. It won’t be easy, but we must try.”
Mr Biden had planned to speak after the result was called but counting in the five key battleground states was still on-going at midnight Washington DC time on Friday.
Hours earlier Mr Trump had tweeted: “Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the president. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!”
It remains unclear exactly when the presidential election result would be called. That decision is made by media outlets crunching the numbers.
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