Joe Biden pledges to unify nation in US election acceptance speech
President-elect Joe Biden has said it is “time to heal” the US and bridge the country’s gaping political divides in his election acceptance speech.
Biden spook at Wilmington, Delaware just after 1am London time, telling the world that the “grim era of demonization in America” must end.
“The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control,” he said.
“It’s a decision. It’s a choice we make.”
He added: “We must restore the soul of America.
“Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses.
“It is time for our better angels to prevail.”
The former Vice President was widely declared the winner of the US election last night, after it became apparent that he had an insurmountable lead in the state of Pennsylvania.
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Donald Trump has yet to concede the election and continues to claim there has been widespread election fraud, despite having no evidence to back up this claim.
The Trump campaign has filed lawsuits in a number of swing states that were won by Biden by small margins.
Biden has so far won 279 Electoral College votes, with several states still counting ballots.
His final victory will likely be by a similar margin as Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Biden unveiled the foundations of his plan to control Covid in his speech as deaths from the virus have almost hit 240,000 in the US.
“We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality, or relish life’s most precious moments — hugging a grandchild, birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us — until we get this virus under control,” he said.
“On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as Transition Advisors to help take the Biden-Harris Covid plan and convert it into an action blueprint that starts on 20 January, 2021.
“That plan will be built on a bedrock of science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy, and concern.”