CBS News projects Joe Biden has secured enough electoral votes to become the 46th president of the United States, defeating President Trump and capturing the White House after a bitter campaign that exposed deep divides in the country. Now the president-elect, Biden took an insurmountable lead in Pennsylvania on Saturday morning, the fourth day of vote-counting after Election Day.
His victory in the Keystone State gave him 273 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 majority needed to win the presidency. “I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris,” Biden said in a statement. “In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.”
Americans flooded the streets in cities like New York and Washington to celebrate the win, with large crowds gathering in Times Square and near the White House to loudly mark Mr. Trump’s defeat. Mr. Trump, who was on his golf course in Virginia when the race was called, immediately refused to acknowledge the victory and vowed to continue challenging the validity of legally cast ballots in several states.
The Trump campaign has launched a flurry of lawsuits in an attempt to delay the counting of votes, but this litigation has thus far been unsuccessful. Biden’s victory is a historic milestone, as his running mate, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will be the first woman and first Black and Asian-American person to serve as vice president.
