Election 2020 updates: Biden warns of 'dark winter,' pushes masks in pandemic plan
The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response.
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.
The 2020 election has shattered voting records with votes totaling 147 million and counting, surpassing the 138 million who voted in 2016.
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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.
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.
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."
"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.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer celebrated on the streets of New York, proclaiming that the "long dark night in America" is over.
"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.
ABC News projects Biden will win Nevada
ABC News projects Biden will win the battleground state of Nevada.
Obama says he 'couldn't be prouder'
Former President Barack Obama "spoke separately this afternoon with president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris," an Obama spokesperson said. "He congratulated them on their historic victory and told them how proud he was of the campaign they ran in unprecedented times.”
Obama said in a statement Saturday that he "couldn't be prouder" of Biden and Harris.
"We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way. Because when he walks into the White House in January, he’ll face a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming President ever has – a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril," Obama said.
"I know he’ll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart, whether or not he had their vote. So I encourage every American to give him a chance and lend him your support. The election results at every level show that the country remains deeply and bitterly divided," he said.
"Our democracy needs all of us more than ever," Obama said. "And Michelle and I look forward to supporting our next President and First Lady however we can."
Former President Jimmy Carter said in a statement, "Rosalynn joins me in congratulating our friends President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We are proud of their well-run campaign and look forward to seeing the positive change they bring to our nation."
Former President Bill Clinton tweeted, "America has spoken and democracy has won. Now we have a President-Elect and Vice President-Elect who will serve all of us and bring us all together. Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on your momentous victory!