The latest:
- President-elect Joe Biden signalled on Sunday he plans to move quickly to build out his government, focusing first on the raging pandemic that will likely dominate the early days of his administration.
- Donald Trump returned to his Virginia golf club today to play, and has yet to concede.
- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris addressed the nation for the first time as president- and vice-president-elect. Watch highlights from their speeches below.
- Updated vote tally margins as counting continues in these swing states: Pennsylvania: Biden leads by 43,194 | Nevada: Biden leads by 31,464 votes | Arizona: Joe Biden leads by 16,952 votes | Georgia: Biden leads by 10,353 votes | North Carolina: Trump leads by 75,407 votes
6:25 p.m. ET
Trump’s election night party adds to virus scrutiny
It was supposed to be a scene of celebration.
Instead, the Trump campaign’s election night watch party in the White House East Room has become another symbol of President Donald Trump’s cavalier attitude toward a virus that is ripping across the nation and infecting more than 100,000 people a day.
Polls suggest that attitude was a serious drag on the president’s reelection bid as voters chose to deny Trump a second term in favour of his Democratic rival, now President-Elect Joe Biden. And the party — with few masks and no social distancing — is now under additional scrutiny after the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, became the latest top White House official to contract the virus, which has now killed more than 237,000 people in the U.S. alone.
The White House has repeatedly refused to say who else has tested positive, even as the virus continues to spread. The latest White House cluster, coming just a month after Trump’s own diagnosis and hospitalization, includes a top Trump campaign official as well as a handful of undisclosed White House staff, officials said.
- Associated Press
1:25 p.m. ET
Biden seeks to move quickly to build out his administration
President-elect Joe Biden signalled on Sunday he plans to move quickly to build out his government, focusing first on the raging pandemic that will likely dominate the early days of his administration.
Biden named a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, David Kessler, as co-chairs of a coronavirus working group set to get started, with other members expected to be announced Monday.
Transition team officials said that also this week Biden will launch his agency review teams, the group of transition staffers that have access to key agencies in the current administration to ease the transfer of power. The teams will collect and review information such as budgetary and staffing decisions, pending regulations and other work in progress from current staff at the departments to help Biden’s team prepare to transition.
“People want the country to move forward,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden deputy campaign manager, in an interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press, and see Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris “have the opportunity to do the work, to get the virus under control and to get our economy back together.”
It’s unclear for now whether President Donald Trump and his administration will co-operate. He has yet to acknowledge Biden’s victory and has pledged to mount legal challenges in several closely contested states that decided the race.
- Associated Press
12:40 p.m. ET
Former president Bush congratulates Biden, says outcome is clear
Former Republican president George W. Bush said on Sunday he has spoken to President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, to congratulate him on his victory.
In a statement, Bush said Americans can have confidence the U.S. election was “fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear.”
He added President Donald Trump has the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges.
- Reuters
11:49 a.m. ET
Biden victory ‘good news’ for Canada, Champagne says
President-elect Joe Biden’s U.S. election victory is good news for Canada, Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne said on Sunday, adding that he hopes there will be a smooth transition of power.
“This is good news and we’ll be able to work very well with the administration,” Champagne said on Biden’s victory in an interview broadcast on CTV, saying that the two countries could collaborate to fight COVID-19 and climate change.
Biden will not be inaugurated until Jan. 20, and President Donald Trump has refused to concede, pledging to move forward with a legal strategy that he hopes will overturn state results that gave Biden the win.
“I’d say the American people have spoken at this point in time. We certainly hope for a smooth transition,” Champagne responded in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.(CBC) when asked about Trump’s refusal to concede.
“We’re going to be following the situation very carefully. But at the same time, we’re planning for the new administration,” he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of the first world leaders to tweet his congratulations to the president-elect on Saturday. Ottawa has struggled at times with Trump, who has called Trudeau “very dishonest and weak” and threatened to scrap a continental trade deal vital to Canada’s economy.
Champagne also said Canada would reach out to the Biden administration to try to save TC Energy Corp’s Keystone XL (KXL) oil pipeline, which would carry oil to the United States from Canada. Biden’s campaign has said he would rescind the project’s presidential permit.
“This is top of the agenda. We’re going to be making our case, saying that Canada is the most reliable energy supplier to the United States,” Champagne told the CBC.
- Reuters
11 a.m. ET
Trump takes to golf course Sunday, has yet to concede
Donald Trump is spending his first day as a lame duck president golfing.
Trump arrived at his Virginia golf club just before 10 a.m. on Sunday for the second day in a row. He was welcomed by several protesters, including one who held a sign that read, “Orange Crushed.”
Trump was also on the golf course Saturday when The Associated Press and other news outlets called the race for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, because he had won enough votes to deny Trump a second term.
Trump has yet to concede the race and is continuing to baselessly dispute the results even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud.
- Reuters
9:40 a.m ET
Biden to launch ‘agency review teams,’ announce coronavirus response panel
President-elect Joe Biden will launch an “agency review teams” this coming week. It’s the group of transition staffers that have access to key agencies in the current administration to smooth the transfer of power.
The teams will collect and review information such as budgetary and staffing decisions, pending regulations and other work in progress from current staff at the federal departments.
The teams are meant to lay much of the groundwork so that the thousands of new staffers and appointees who will take over in January will have a road map and guidelines for how to continue the federal government’s work without pause, and how to shift the departments toward Biden’s priorities.
Biden’s campaign launched a transition team in May, and they’ve been working alongside designated staffers in President Donald Trump’s administration on transition planning for months. But the agency review process begins in earnest after a new president is elected. Biden has just over 10 weeks to prepare before he is inaugurated.
On Monday, he plans to announce a team of scientists and experts that will work to craft a coronavirus response plan that can be enacted when he takes office.
Biden’s transition team has also come out with a transition-focused website — BuildBackBetter.com — and is launching transition-focused social media accounts under the username “Transition46.”
- Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 9:00 p.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden speaks to the nation
In his first speech as president-elect to supporters in Delaware Saturday night, Joe Biden said he’ll announce a team of experts to make a plan to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Biden also urged Americans to not see one another as enemies, saying he “seeks not to divide, but to unify.”
The Globe and Mail
Joe Biden spoke for the first time this evening as president-elect saying “this is the time to heal in America" and that he “seeks not to divide, but to unify.”
“The people of this nation have spoke, they delivered us a clear victory," he said. “I am humbled by the trust and confidence you placed in me.”
He addressed his commitment to ending racial discrimination, fighting climate change and getting COVID-19 under control.
“I sought the office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class, and to make America respected round the world again, to reunite us here at home,” he said.
- Globe Staff
Saturday, Nov. 8, 8:40 p.m. ET
Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris speaks to the nation
Vice president-elect Kamala Harris gave a speech to jubiliant supporters in Delaware Saturday night. Ms. Harris reflected on her mother who came to the U.S. at age 19 and the women who came before her who “paved the way for this moment tonight.”
The Globe and Mail
“You delivered a clear message, you chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth," said Kamala Harris in her first nation address as vice-president-elect. "You chose Joe Biden as the next president of the United States of America.”
She said that tonight, she is thinking about her mother who arrived to the U.S. at 19 years old, and of the many women who fought and sacrificed for equality and liberty and justice.
“Tonight I reflect on their struggle,” she said. “I stand on their shoulders.”
Ms. Harris said that no matter who Americans voted for, she wants to do her best to represent the nation.
“Now is when the real work begins.”
- Globe Staff
Saturday, Nov. 8, 7:50 p.m. ET
Biden, now president-elect, prepares to address nation
Forty-eight years to the day after he was elected to represent Delaware in the Senate at the age of 29, Joe Biden will speak to the nation for the first time as president-elect Saturday night.
His appearance in his hometown was a triumphant moment in a career that spanned 36 years in the Senate, eight years as vice president and three presidential bids. On Saturday, Biden was expected to offer a message of national unity and a promise to soothe the extraordinary divisions that defined the last four years in American politics. He was also expected to chart a vision for navigating a series of crises that have gripped the country in recent months.
- The New York Times
Photo gallery: Biden supporters celebrate across U.S.
People celebrate on Black Lives Matter plaza across from the White House in Washington, DC.ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images
1 of 20
Saturday, Nov. 8, 6:50 p.m. ET
Fight for Senate control awaits in Georgia after Biden’s win
Control of the Senate likely won’t be decided until a January runoff in Georgia, even after Democrat Joe Biden won the White House on Saturday.
That post-election cliff-hanger will determine the balance of power in Washington, as neither party appears to have a lock on a Senate majority right now.
So far, the tally for the next Senate is 48 Republicans and 48 Democrats after Tuesday’s election. Two seats in Georgia are headed to runoffs on Jan. 5. And seats in North Carolina and Alaska are still to early to call.
The stakes are high for for a momentous political struggle in Georgia during President Donald Trump’s final lame-duck days in office. The state is closely divided, with Democrats making gains on Republicans, fueled by a surge of new voters. But no Democrat has been elected senator in some 20 years. As much as $500 million could be spent on the two races, one strategist said.
– The Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 5:30 p.m. ET
Kamala Harris’s Canadian classmates celebrate after her vice-presidential win
Kamala Harris became the first woman elected vice-president of the United States on Saturday, a victory that holds a special meaning for her former schoolmates and current students at the Montreal high school she made her Alma Mater almost 40 years ago.
Harris, 56, lived briefly in the city and graduated from Westmount High School in 1981.
Hugh Kwok, who was friends with Harris at the public high school, wished her well in her new, history-making role. He described her win alongside President Elect Joe Biden as a positive development at a time when the world could use an infusion of peace and love.
“Definitely it’s good for Canadians, she understands Canadians since she lived here,” he said.
- The Canadian Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:17 p.m. ET
Former 2012 rivals send congratulations to Biden and Harris
Former president Barack Obama and Senator Mitt Romney, the contestants in the 2012 presidential race, have each congratulated president-elect Joe Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris. Obama says he “could not be prouder” to congratulate the pair.
In a statement Saturday, Obama says Biden has “got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way,” because he will enter the White House facing “a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming President ever has.”
Romney, the Utah Republican, tweeted Saturday that he and his wife know Biden and Harris “as people of good will and admirable character.” He says, “We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead.”
Romney, President Donald Trump’s most vocal critic within the Republican Party, said Friday that Trump was “damaging the cause of freedom” and inflaming “destructive and dangerous passions” by claiming, without foundation, that the election was rigged and stolen from him.
– The Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 1:55 p.m. ET (updated)
Trump and his supporters refuse to accept defeat
U.S President Donald Trump returns to the White House after news media declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election in Washington on Saturday.CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters
President Donald Trump, who was golfing when the networks made their calls for his rival, immediately accused Joe Biden of “rushing to falsely pose as the winner.”
“This election is far from over,” he said in a statement.
In a reminder of the divided state of the country, pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” demonstrators gathered at state capitol buildings in Lansing, Michigan, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Outside the state capitol building in the long-held Republican stronghold of Georgia, chants of “lock him up” rang out among estimated 1,000 Trump supporters. Others there chanted “This isn’t over! This isn’t over!” and “Fake news!” The streets outside the capitol were awash with American flags and Trump flags.
Shortly after Biden was projected to win the presidential race, some 75 Trump protesters gathered Saturday morning outside the election tabulation centre in downtown Phoenix. That crowd swelled to more than 1,000 within hours.
Trump supporters, left, and Black Lives Matter supporters debate in front of the North Carolina Capitol in Raleigh on Nov. 7, 2020.GRANT BALDWIN/AFP/Getty Images
“This election has not been called!” yelled Jake Angeli, a regular at Arizona pro-Trump rallies who typically wears a woolly fur hat with horns. “Don’t believe that lie! They got their hands caught in the cookie jar and we’re going to the Supreme Court!”
Amid the tensions, there was at least one scene that could portend what is to come. In Lansing, Michigan, a group of about 50 Trump supporters and a smaller group of marchers carrying Black Lives Matter flags converged on the Michigan state capitol where they pushed, shoved and shouted at one another in a tense standoff.
– Reuters, The Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 12:55 p.m. ET
Biden supporters party in the streets over election win
Joe Biden’s supporters banged pots, honked their car horns and set off fireworks across U.S. cities on Saturday after the Democratic presidential nominee won the White House in a narrow victory over Republican President Donald Trump.
Minutes after major television networks declared Biden the winner following four nail-biting days since Tuesday’s election, hundreds of people, most of them wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, streamed to the White House to celebrate outside a security fence as the sound of booming fireworks was heard in the distance.
“I was on the bus and I jumped off the bus to come right down here to the White House,” said Donna Thomas, a resident of Washington. “It is something to celebrate. We have been waiting so long.”
A giant inflatable blimp depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is carried by supporters of president-elect Joe Biden.MICHAEL MCCOY/Reuters
Streets were closed to traffic as Biden supporters marched with an assortment of LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter and American flags. Some carried a giant balloon of Trump in the shape of a rat.
In nearby Dupont Circle, several hundred people formed a parade, playing music, singing and dancing and marched towards the White House to the sound of honking horns and clanging cowbells.
In Washington’s Petworth neighborhood, Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” and Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up” could be heard playing loudly as neighbors hooted and cars sounded their horns.
Loud cheers erupted in the halls of the hotel where Biden aides are staying. “Worth every minute,” of the wait, a Biden aide said. Campaign staff exchanged elbow bumps and air hugs in the hotel lobby.
Biden’s running mate, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, tweeted a video of herself congratulating Biden: “We did it Joe!”
The sun was shining in Philadelphia, where Biden’s 80.8% to 18.3% margin over Trump tipped the election in the Democrat’s favor.
Enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, Biden supporters cheered, danced and hugged on the streets. Sisters Nyla, 11, and Jada Carter, 23, chanted “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” at Trump supporters gathered across the street.
In New Orleans, Dana Clark, an African-American woman who stood in line for more than eight hours to cast her vote for Biden, all the while holding her 18-month-old son, Mason, in her arms, said she was overjoyed.
In Atlanta, shouts, cheers and fireworks rang out in the Democratic stronghold of East Atlanta Village as word spread that Biden was named the winner.
In the New York borough of Brooklyn, cars honked and people pumped their fist and cheered on the street.
“The nightmare is over,” said Andrew Ravin, 45, while his neighbour Kenneth Henry, 51, said, “We can breathe again.”
– Reuters
Saturday, Nov. 8, 12:46 p.m. ET
World leaders react to election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their election as the next President and Vice President of the United States of America," Trudeau said in a statement. "Canada and the United States enjoy an extraordinary relationship – one that is unique on the world stage.”
“I look forward to working with President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris, their administration, and the United States Congress as we tackle the world’s greatest challenges together.”
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON
GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL
“I look forward to future cooperation with President Biden. Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.”
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
“The Americans have chosen their President. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!”
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON
FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, said in a statement Saturday that he and his wife, Rosalynn, are “proud” of the Democrats' “well-run campaign and seeing the positive change they bring to our nation.”
INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI
“Heartiest congratulations @KamalaHarris! Your success is pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all Indian-Americans. I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership.”
(Chittis is the Tamil word for “aunts” that Harris used in her speech while accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for vice president.)
– Reuters, The Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 12:19 p.m. ET
Biden projected to add Nevada’s electoral college votes to his tally
Democrat Joe Biden has won Nevada, adding to his electoral college victory over President Donald Trump.
Biden clinched Nevada on Saturday afternoon, shortly after he won the presidency by taking Pennsylvania.
Trump had made a strong play in Nevada, holding several rallies there in the final stretch of the campaign. Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly won Nevada in 2016, and Republicans saw an opening to expand their electoral map.
The pandemic has pummeled Nevada’s tourism-dependent economy, especially, hampering Trump’s ability to make inroads in the state.
Nevada is also home to a large Hispanic population, a voting bloc that typically leans Democratic.
The last Republican presidential candidate to win Nevada was George W. Bush in 2004.
– The Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 11:27 a.m. ET
Pennsylvania projection gives Biden enough electoral college votes to claim White House
Joe Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States, according to U.S. news outlets, prevailing after days of vote-counting in a fierce battle for the White House.
His running mate, Kamala Harris, will make history as the first woman, first Black and first South Asian U.S. vice-president.
Mr. Biden clinched 273 electoral college votes late Saturday morning, after securing Pennsylvania following four days of ballot-counting. Mr. Biden also led the vote counts in three more swing states: Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. The Democratic nominee also led the Republican incumbent in the popular vote by 51 per cent to 48 per cent.
In a statement, Mr. Biden said his victory showed that “democracy beats deep in the heart of America,” and called for the country to unite.
“It’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation,” he said. “It’s time for America to unite. And to heal.”
– Adrian Morrow
Saturday, Nov. 8, 11:08 a.m. ET
Trump heads to Virginia golf club
U.S. President Donald Trump departs the White House on his way to his Virginia golf club Saturday morning.CARLOS BARRIA/Reuters
States are still counting votes in the presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden is on the verge of victory and President Donald Trump is at his Virginia golf club for the first time since the end of September.
Trump left the White House on Saturday morning and had on golf shoes, a windbreaker and a white hat.
The White House isn’t immediately responding to questions about the president’s possible golfing partners.
There were a few people with Biden flag banners outside the club entrance when Trump arrived.
– The Associated Press
Saturday, Nov. 8, 9:15 a.m. ET
Trump tweets flagged by Twitter due to disputed claims
Donald Trump has remained defiant as his chances fade for securing a second four-year term. On Saturday, Trump repeated baseless allegations of election fraud and illegal voting in a series of tweets, but they were quickly flagged as potentially misleading by the social media platform.
– The Associated Press
Friday, Nov. 6, 10:50 p.m. ET
Biden addresses the nation
Joe Biden says he is already preparing to assume the presidency even though he has not been declared the winner in his race against President Donald Trump.
“I want people to know we’re not waiting to get the work done,” he said late Friday in remarks to the nation.
“The numbers tell us a clear and convincing story.”
Biden said he and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have held briefings on the coronavirus and the economy this week as the U.S. records record daily cases.
He noted nearly 240,000 people have died from the pandemic and said he wants those families to know they aren’t alone.
He also addressed the millions of Americans who remain out of work and are struggling to pay rent or buy food.
“We don’t have any more time to waste on partisan warfare,” he said.
– The Associated Press
Friday, Nov. 6, 9:30 p.m. ET
Incumbent Perdue to face Ossoff in Georgia U.S. Senate seat runoff
Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff will face off in a Jan. 5 runoff in Georgia for Perdue’s Senate seat.
Libertarian candidate Shane Hazel was able to get enough votes so that neither Perdue or Ossoff was able to clear the 50% threshold needed for an outright win.
Thousands of absentee ballots and in-person votes cast early needed to be counted after Election Night passed, forcing a long and tense wait before the race could be called.
The contest has already seen huge spending from outside groups on both sides and millions of dollars more are expected to pour into the state ahead of the runoff.
The race between Ossoff and Perdue, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has been characterized by sharp attack ads but relatively moderate political positions.
– The Associated Press
Friday, Nov. 6, 2:47 p.m. ET (updated)
When to expect results from five battleground states
Americans have been waiting longer than in any presidential election year since 2000 to learn the winner, with vote counting slowed by a record number of mail-in ballots. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted many to avoid voting in person on Tuesday’s election day.
Pennsylvania
There are still ballots to be counted from Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, and Allegheny county, home to Pittsburgh. The majority of ballots left in Philadelphia are provisional and military ballots, Pennsylvania’s election commissioner said, adding the final count could take several days.
Friday is the last day that Pennsylvania can accept mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day. Under Pennsylvania law, a recount is automatic if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5 percentage point of the total vote.
Georgia
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, said he expects the margin to be just a few thousand votes, which would trigger an automatic recount. A recount must wait until Georgia’s results are certified, expected on or before Nov. 20.
About 9,000 military and overseas ballots were still outstanding and could be accepted if they arrive on Friday as long as they were postmarked Tuesday or earlier.
Arizona
With 97 per cent of the tally completed, it was not clear when this state’s contest would conclude, though further updates were expected on Saturday.
Nevada
The state’s biggest county, Clark, which includes Las Vegas, had 63,000 ballots remaining to be counted as of Friday. The majority of mail-in ballots is expected to be counted by Sunday.
North Carolina
State officials have said a full result would not be known until next week. The state allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday to be counted if they are received by Nov. 12.
– Reuters
How does the Electoral College work, and when will it decide the outcome of the U.S. presidential election? A primer
For Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Nov. 3′s election day is just the beginning: The vote that makes one of them the president will come after that, and falls to a group of 538 people. Here’s how the process works
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