US President Joe Biden, on Thursday, promised to work with Donald Trump to secure a “peaceful and orderly transition” and urged Americans to come together to make the country work.
The 81-year-old stated this at the White House Rose Garden in his first public appearance since Trump’s landslide win in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Biden stated that for over 200 years, the US has carried out the “greatest experiment of self-government in the history of the world”, where the people vote and choose their leaders and do it peacefully, “where the will of people always prevails”.
He said he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory and to help him with an orderly transition of power.
Biden also said he spoke with Kamala Harris and stressed that she had been “a partner and a public servant.
Elections, he added, are “contests” with winners and losers. In this case, the Democrats were the losers.
Biden has also promised to help Trump in the transition between administrations, and stressed that the Democrats would accept a peaceful transfer of power, which some might interpret as a jab at his predecessor.
Biden also emphasised the strengthen of the US economy,”We’re leaving behind the strongest economy in the world. I know some people are still hurting,” he said. “But things are better than we found them.
“We’re going to be okay, but we need to stay engaged. Now we have 74 days to finish the term, our term, let’s make every day count.
“Set backs are unavoidable but giving up is unforgivable. We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character is how we get back up.
“We lost this battle, the America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”
Biden went on to say that respect should be restored for all election workers, and that they should be thanked.
“Many are volunteers who do it out of love for country,” he added..
Biden will attend Trump’s inauguration. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, before the election, said Biden would attend it for whoever won the presidency.
