Networks call Georgia for Biden as security officials say vote was ‘secure’
Follow the latest updates
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
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.
Biden's ancestral Irish home celebrates, looks forward to reunion
Covid-19 restrictions may have shut the pubs in the western Irish town of Ballina but that did not stop Joe Biden’s ancestral home from celebrating his presidential election victory on Saturday.
Biden’s great-great-grandfather Edward Blewitt grew up in the old market town, the birthplace of Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first female president. Blewitt emigrated after the Irish potato famine of the 1840s to Biden’s birthplace of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a sister city of Ballina.
A large painted mural of Biden has overlooked the County Mayo town’s square for weeks and locals surrounded by American flags and ‘Biden/Harris’ posters popped champagne on Saturday. One drove a blue Mustang car with the license plate “Biden #1” .
“Probably the best day of my life,” said Laurita Blewitt, a third cousin who was invited by the former vice president onto the campaign trail earlier this year and was in the White House when Biden received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017 from Barack Obama.
“It’s just the best thing ever. His Irishness is very much attached to him and I know he will try and get over as quick as he can and we will be thrilled to have him here,” said Blewitt, who spoke to Biden’s brother Jimmy shortly after he was declared the victor.
Blewitt’s brother, a plumber also named Joe, redecorated his van with the slogan: “Joe Biden for the White House and Joe Blewitt for YOUR HOUSE.”
Biden brought his children and grandchildren on an official trip to Ireland in 2016 to learn more about their Irish roots, that also include family in the east coast county of Louth and an ancestral link to Ireland rugby players Rob and Dave Kearney.
His win was also warmly welcomed by the Irish government. Biden has warned Britain that it must honour Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace agreement as it leaves the European Union or there will be no separate U.S. trade deal.
“He’s as Irish as you can get,” Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said, referencing the tradition Biden started of hosting the Irish premier of the day for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in the vice president’s residence each year.
“Ireland takes pride in Joe Biden’s election, just as we are proud of all the generations of Irish women and Irish men and their ancestors whose toil and genius have enriched the diversity that powers America.” - Reuters
Naomi Biden shares family group hug after Joe Biden win
Joe Biden’s granddaughter shared the moment her family shared a group hug to celebrate the election win.
Naomi Biden tweeted the photo dated 11.07.20, along with retweet from Jill Biden vowing that 46 would be a “president for all our families”.
“They’ve come a long way,” Naomi wrote to an image of her grandparents.
Trump plans to graciously concede and commit to peaceful transfer of power, per source
Donald Trump has indicated he would graciously conceded to President-elect Joe Biden and committee to a peaceful transfer of power if legal avenues failed to show a path to a second term, according to Fox News.
Sources told the publication that the president would concede “if the campaign's legal challenges fail to open up a path for a second term.”
Mr Trump has called for legal challenges and recounts in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Georgia amid news that he’s lost each of the states.
"The observers were not allowed into the counting rooms. I won the election, got 71,000 legal votes. Bad things happened which our observers were not allowed to see."Mr Trump wrote in a tweet on Saturday evening after Mr BIden was announced the winner. "Never happened before. Millions of mail-in ballots were sent to people who never asked for them!"
There has been no proof that voter fraud has taken place in any of the states.
Thus far, Mr Trump has refused to concede even though several media outlets including the Associated Press, Fox News, and CNN have all called the election in favour of Mr Biden.
The President-elect is expected to give a victory speech on Saturday evening at 8pm EST.
Twitter immediately flags new Trump tweet that baselessly claims election fraud
Twitter immediately flagged one of Donald Trump’s latest tweets that doubles down — again — on his campaign’s baseless assertions of election fraud.
“This claim about election fraud is disputed,” the social media platform bolted in blue lettering underneath the president’s tweet.
“THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE,” Mr Trump wrote on Saturday, hours after The Associated Press called the US presidential election for his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden.
Griffin Connolly reports:
Twitter immediately flags new Trump tweet about election fraud
‘This claim about election fraud is disputed,’ social media platform says
Kamala Harris husband: Meet Douglas Emhoff, the lawyer set to become America’s first Second Gentleman
Vice-president elect Kamala Harris is already making history — becoming the first woman of colour to be elected to the role.
But she’s not the only one ticking off political firsts.
Her lawyer husband, Douglas Emhoff, will also take on a first for the country by becoming the first ‘second gentleman’ of the United States.
Mr Emhoff heaped public praise on his wife as the Biden/Harris campaign celebrated election victory on 7 November, after an agonising days-long wait for key swing states to be declared.
Read more on Mr Emhoff here:
Meet Kamala Harris’ husband, a hotshot lawyer set to become America’s first Second Gentleman
Mr Emhoff first met his wife on a blind date and the couple married the following year
Watch live: President-elect Joe Biden gives acceptance speech in Wilmington, Delaware
Mexican president says he will not congratulate Biden yet on election win
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he will not congratulate President-elect Joe Biden yet on his presidency win until the “legal questions” of the election are resolved, Al Jazeera News reporter.
Several world leaders including Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have already congratulated Mr Biden on his election win even though President Donald Trump has yet to concede.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivers speech before introducing President-elect Joe Biden
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addressed Americans in Wilmington, Delaware, before introducing President-elect Joe Biden to the public for the first time.
“For four years, you marched and organised for equality and justice, for our lives, and for our planet." she said. “And then, you voted. You delivered a clear message. You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth. You chose Joe Biden as the next president of the United States of America.”
Ms Harris will be the first female and woman of colour as the vice president.
Vice President-elect commends US for choosing ‘unity, decency, science, and truth’
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris commended her supporters for sending a “clear message” of repudiation against the last four years of Donald Trump’s chaotic leadership.
“You delivered a clear message. You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and the truth,” she said on a stage outside the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, Mr Biden’s hometown.
“You chose Joe Biden as the next president,” she said.
Ms Harris began her victory address on Saturday by quoting the late civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, who wrote shortly before his death that "democracy is not a state. It is an act.”
Griffin Connolly has more on Ms Harris’ speech:
Kamala Harris gives historic address commending America for choosing 'unity'
Harris is the first woman, African-American, and Asian-American to serve as VP
President-elect Joe Biden reaches out to Trump supporters in speech
President-elect Joe Biden specifically addressed Americans who voted for President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
“For those of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight. I've lost a couple of times myself. But now, let's give each other a chance," Mr Biden said.
"Let’s give each other a chance and stop treating each other like enemies. We are not enemies. We are Americans. This is the time to heal," he added.
He vowed to not just work for “red states” or “blue states” but for the United States of America.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments