Time to heal America: President-elect Biden urges unity in his first speech
US President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to unite the country as he called it ‘a time to heal in America’, after his historic victory over Donald Trump in a bitter and closely-fought presidential election.
Trump has so far refused to concede the election that attracted a record number of Americans to cast their votes amidst the raging Covid-19 pandemic. He has announced filing multiple lawsuits against the election results.
“I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify; who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States,” Biden said in his victory speech in his hometown, Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday night.
Biden thanked his supporters, saying he had earned votes from the "broadest and most diverse coalition in American history."
"I am humbled by the trust and confidence you've placed in me," the 77-year-old Democrat leader told the gathering amid applause and cheers from the audience.
"The people of this nation have spoken, they've delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for We the People," he said, referring to more than 74 million voters who backed him.
The Democrat leader also reached out to Trump voters, saying he would act as their president as much as he would for those who voted for him.
“I understand your disappointment tonight. I've lost a couple of times myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance,” Biden said.
"This is the time to heal in America." I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class and to make America respected around the world again, and to unite us here at home," the President-elect said.
The 2020 US election has been billed as one of the most divisive in recent American history.
"We are not enemies. We are Americans," Biden said.
The mandate of this election, he said, is that Americans have called on them to marshal the forces of decency and the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of this time.
"The battle to control the virus. The battle to build prosperity. The battle to secure your family's health care. The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country.The battle to save the climate. The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot," he said.
Noting that he ran as a proud Democrat, Biden said that he will now be an American president. “I will work as hard for those who didn't vote for me — as those who did. Let this grim era of demonisation in America begin to end — here and now. The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control,” he said.
