In a significant gesture of unity, U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday called President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential election, the White House announced.
“President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” the White House stated. Biden is scheduled to address the nation on Thursday to discuss the election results and the upcoming transition.
The President also extended an invitation to Trump to meet at the White House, with plans for their staffs to coordinate a specific date in the near future.
In addition to his conversation with Trump, Biden spoke by phone with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, congratulating her on her “historic campaign,” according to the statement.
Early Wednesday morning, Fox News projected that Trump would secure more than 270 Electoral College votes, crossing the threshold needed to claim the presidency. The Associated Press and other major news outlets confirmed Trump’s victory hours later.
At his election headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump declared victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, calling it “a political victory that our country has never seen before.”
As vote counting continues, Trump appears to have swept all seven key swing states in this year’s election. Initial results became clear in North Carolina and Georgia around midnight on Election Day. By Wednesday afternoon, the pivotal “Blue Wall” states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan had flipped to Trump, mirroring their shift in 2016.
U.S. media reported earlier on Wednesday that Harris had also called Trump to congratulate him on his election victory.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
