Networks call Georgia for Biden as security officials say vote was ‘secure’
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As Donald Trump continues to refuse conceding the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden, the president-elect was said to have spoken with Senate Republicans who have begun to admit he should at least receive intelligence briefings that have so far been denied.
On Friday afternoon most networks called Georgia for Mr Biden and North Carolina for Mr Trump bringing their respective electoral college vote totals to 306 to 232.
US federal and state cybersecurity officials, meanwhile, have delivered a direct rebuke to Donald Trump, who continues to allege irregularities and widespread fraud without evidence.
Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the 3 November vote was “the most secure in history" in a report published Thursday, and added that Americans should trust the result. His agency had not find any evidence of ballots being lost, deleted or altered, he said.
Mitt Romney - a man who is famously not a fan of Donald Trump - has joined Republicans congratulating Joe Biden today:
Why did AP call the election for Biden today?
Here’s an explanation from Associated Press (AP) for why media organisations waited until today to call the election for Joe Biden:
As election day ground on into “election week”, it became increasingly clear that Democrat Joe Biden would oust President Donald Trump from the White House.
Late-counted ballots in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia continued to keep Mr Biden in the lead and offered him multiple paths to victory.
The questions, rather, were these - where he would win, when it would happen and by how much.
On Saturday, Mr Biden captured the presidency when the Associated Press declared him the victor in his native Pennsylvania at 11.25am local time.
That got him the state's 20 electoral votes, which pushed him over the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to prevail.
‘Time to heal’: Pelosi congratulates Biden on 2020 victory
Nancy Pelosi has congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the 2020 presidential election and Kamala Harris “for making history” after defeating Donald Trump.
Ms Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, said it was now “a time to heal and a time to grow together”.
Our reporter, Sam Hancock, has the full story below:
Pelosi congratulates Biden and Harris for winning White House
'It’s a time to heal and a time to grow together,' the House speaker said
Sanders congratulates Biden, calls for ‘agenda of economic, social, racial and environmental justice’
What happens if Trump refuses to concede election now Biden has won?
Donald Trump has not yet shown any signs that he is planning to concede the presidential election, raising fears that he may refuse to leave the White House.
Such behaviour would spark an unprecedented crisis in the US, where the peaceful transition of power has been a bedrock of society.
Our reporter, Joe Middleton, has the full story below:
What happens if Trump refuses to concede US election?
What would happen if Trump refuses to leave White House now Trump has won the election?
Donald Trump has apparently finished his round of golf, which could mean we’ll be hearing from him via Twitter soon...
A reminder that Joe Biden has won the presidential election with more votes than any other candidate in American history.
Biden breaks record for most votes in history for any presidential candidate
Biden breaks Obama’s popular vote record for most votes in history for any presidential candidate
Biden planning to announce coronavirus task force on Monday, CNN reports
Joe Biden is planning to announce the formation of a 12-person coronavirus task force on Monday, according to CNN.
Two sources told the news organisation that the task force would be led by three co-chairs: former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University’s Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith.
Mr Biden is not expected to announce cabinet nominations for weeks and may wait until control of the Senate is clear, the sources told CNN.
Biden says ‘time to put anger behind us’ in first statement as president elect
Joe Biden has urged America to “put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us” in his first statement as the nation’s president-elect.
The former vice president is due to speak at a victory party in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday evening, where he will be joined by his running mate Kamala Harris.
“I am honoured and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in vice president-elect Harris,” Mr Biden said.
Our chief US correspondent, Andrew Buncombe, has the full story below:
Joe Biden says ‘time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us
‘In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted’
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