Joe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump. ABC News characterized Joe Biden as the apparent winner of his home state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 vote threshold needed to capture the presidency.
The hard-fought battle against the president was set against the backdrop of racial unrest and the coronavirus pandemic and bitter divisions among the electorate.
Trump had falsely declared on election night, when he held a lead in several key states, that he won the contest and alleged without evidence, after the count started to swing the other way, that the election was being stolen from him and that fraud had been committed.
Painting the election as a "battle for the soul of the nation," Biden won on a message of unity over division, compassion over anger, and reality over what he called Trump's "wishful thinking" as the coronavirus pandemic cast a heavy shadow over the campaign.
Here's how election week unfolded. All times Eastern.
Nov 07, 2020, 4:10 PM EST
Trump supporters gather at state capitols in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania
Marjorie Taylor Green, who won Georgia's conservative 14th Congressional District this week after publicly supporting the fringe conspiracy theory known as QAnon, was joined by dozens of Trump supporters at the Georgia State Capitol Saturday.
She baselessly claimed the election was stolen as she addressed the crowd, saying, “what we are seeing now is an election being stolen, and I’m not going to stand for it.”
Trump supporters gather at the Georgia State Capitol after major news organizations called the 2020 Presidential Election for Joe Biden, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, Nov. 7, 2020.
Chris Aluka Berry/EPA via Shutterstock
Supporters of President Donald Trump participate on a 'Stop the Steal' protest at the Georgia State Capitol, after the 2020 presidential election was called for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, in Atlanta, Nov. 7, 2020.
Dustin Chambers/Reuters via Newscom
In Arizona, several hundred Trump supporters, many of whom were armed, gathered outside the state capitol in Phoenix, where they waved Trump flags and shouted "USA," and "four more years!"
Supporters of President Donald Trump demonstrate in front of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, Nov. 7, 2020.
Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images
Outside the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, police kept Trump and Biden supporters, who were yelling at each other, separate.
-ABC News' Elwyn Lopez and Zohreen Shah
Nov 07, 2020, 3:57 PM EST
Republicans voice support, opposition for Biden
Republicans who have been critical of Trump wished Biden well on Saturday.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted, "Congratulations to President-elect Biden. Everyone should want our president to succeed because we need our country to succeed. We have great challenges ahead of us as a country. Now more than ever, we need to come together as Americans."
Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted, "Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead."
But Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said Saturday, "For the sake of our country, I wish Biden well, but I will continue to consider myself, until January 20 and then after January 20, part of America's loyal opposition."
"Any other president's national security policy would be more coherent, consistent and sustained than Donald Trump's. The risk with Joe Biden is not that his policy will be chaotic like Trump's but that it will be badly misguided, as Obama's was," Bolton said.
"Biden has pledged to extend the New START treaty with Russia, resuscitate the Iran nuclear deal, and return to the Obama approach to Cuba, all egregious mistakes, among others," he continued. "Biden's real views on dealing with China are obscure."
Nov 07, 2020, 3:25 PM EST
ABC News to air a prime-time special on President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris at 8 p.m. ET
ABC News announced it will air a prime-time special on President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' address to the nation Saturday.
The special will air at 8 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network and streaming news channel ABC News Live. Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos will lead coverage from New York City and will be joined by "World News Tonight" Anchor David Muir, "ABC News Live Prime" Anchor Linsey Davis and ABC News’ powerhouse political team reporting on the historic event.
Nov 07, 2020, 2:48 PM EST
Americans take to streets to celebrate Biden win
From New York to Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., to Atlanta to Los Angeles, Americans are cheering, honking horns and taking to the streets to celebrate Biden's win.
People in Manhattan celebrate media Joe Biden's apparent Pennsylvania win in the presidential election making him set to become the 46th President of the U.S., in New York City, Nov. 7, 2020.
Andrew Kelly/Reuters
People celebrate Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Philadelphia, after the presidential election was called for Joe Biden.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
In Washington, D.C., revelers at Black Lives Matter Plaza popped champagne bottles and sang “Celebrate Good Times."
Patrisse Cullors, co-founder and executive director of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, said in a statement, "Black voters showed up in huge numbers to turn this country around and remove the racist in the White House. What is abundantly clear is Black voters were the factor that tipped the scales in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, especially in Rust Belt battleground states. It's striking that the same people who have been treated the worst by our democracy are doing the most to save it."
People celebrate in Philadelphia after Democrat Joe Biden was declared the apparent winner in Pennsylvania in the presidential election making him set to become the 46th President of the U.S., Nov. 7, 2020.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
"We congratulate Joe Biden on becoming President, and particularly Kamala Harris, on becoming the country’s first woman - a Black woman - to serve as Vice President. This historic win is a testament to the work Black women have been doing in the streets, in this campaign, and at every level of politics," Cullors said.
People celebrate in Times Square after Joe Biden became the apparent winner of the 2020 presidential election, Nov. 7, 2020, in New York.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer celebrated on the streets of New York, proclaiming that the "long dark night in America" is over.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrates as media announce that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has won the presidential election, in Brooklyn New York, Nov. 7, 2020.
Dane Rhys/Reuters
"So I say to Donald Trump: You lost. No more games. Go home. Go home to Florida," Schumer said. "Stop making up lies about the election. It was fair. There have been no irregularities found."
Schumer also encouraged Democrats to get involved in the Georgia Senate runoff race this January.
"Tell anyone you know in Georgia make sure you vote," Schumer said.
