Saturday, Nov. 7 was a big day for former Vice President Joe Biden. After four days of ballot counting that consistently remained incredibly close, Biden was officially projected to win the 2020 presidential election by various major outlets, including the Associated Press, CNN, and The New York Times. To celebrate the announcement, the new President-elect made a public address, and Joe Biden's speech after winning the 2020 election was honestly the fieriest public appearance Americans have seen from him.
Americans had been on edge since Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3 as votes were being counted over the span of several days. Due to an increase in mail-in ballots in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the election results took a bit longer to be confirmed, but after Biden was projected to win the closely-watched Pennsylvania, a finicky swing state with 20 electoral votes, on Saturday, Nov. 7, all major outlets called the election in his favor. Biden celebrated the win by promising to be a president for all Americans in a tweet, and several notable political figures also shared their congratulations on social media, including Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton.
Later that night, at 8:45 p.m. ET, Biden made a longer statement in a live broadcast to thank the American people and talk about the next steps. Running onto the stage, Biden took the podium with an impassioned tone, echoing his message from earlier speeches: that there is much to be done, but that he's eager to do so for everyone, including those who didn't vote for him.
"I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify. Who doesn’t see red and blue states, but a United States, and who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people," Biden said. "For that is what America is about: the people. And that is what our administration will be about."
Biden went on to thank his wife Jill, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug, and his campaign staff who worked tirelessly to make this election outcome a reality. From there, Biden's speech took an impassioned turn against division and "harsh rhetoric" and toward unity. "To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans," Biden continued. "The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season — a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America."
Following a commitment to getting the ongoing coronavirus under control, Biden ended his speech by quoting a well-known Biblical passage from Psalm 41, which brought Biden "comfort and solace" following the death of his son Beau: "And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand."
Watch Biden's full victory speech below:
