US President Joe Biden has urged his fellow citizens to lower the political temperature after Donald Trump's crushing election win over Kamala Harris, saying in a conciliatory address to the nation that he would ensure a peaceful transition of power.
In a solemn speech from the White House on Thursday, Biden also said the result should "lay to rest" doubts about the integrity of the US election system fueled by Trump's refusal to acknowledge his own 2020 defeat by the Democrat.
"Something I hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans. Bring down the temperature," Biden said.
Biden said he had called Republican Trump to congratulate the twice-impeached former president and assure him there would be a "peaceful and orderly" transition.
"On January 20, we'll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America," said Biden, whose inauguration Trump had refused to attend.
The outgoing president also urged supporters not to lose hope after the re-election of Trump, who is likely to dismantle many of Biden's policies as soon as he returns to the White House.
"Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated," he said.
Stark contrast
Biden's comments were in stark contrast to billionaire Trump, whose election defeat denial four years ago culminated in the violent January 6, 2021, assault by Trump's supporters on the US Capitol.
Biden has invited Trump to meet at the White House, for what would be their first encounter since the Democrat’s disastrous debate performance against Trump in June that forced him out of the race.
World leaders have swiftly pledged to work with Trump, despite concerns in much of the globe about his nationalist "America First" approach and pledges to slap huge tariffs on foreign imports.
'Selecting personnel'
Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, is now working on his transition team.
Robert F. Kennedy Jnr, a leading figure in the anti-vaccine movement for whom Trump has pledged a "big role" in healthcare, is tipped for a position.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, could also be in line for a job after enthusiastically backing Trump. The incoming president has said he will ask the SpaceX, Tesla and X boss to audit the US government to cut waste.
US voters backed Trump's hard-line right-wing policies and rejected Biden and Harris's record, especially on the economy and inflation, exit polls showed.
Trump's victory makes him the first convicted felon and oldest man to be elected US president, and came after a turbulent campaign in which he escaped two assassination attempts and rode out the transfer from Biden to Harris.
Armed with a sweeping mandate, Trump 2.0 is set to dismantle huge chunks of Biden's legacy.
Trump could start by halting the incumbent's billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia's 2022 invasion, having previously suggested he would pressure Kyiv to make a peace deal.
Trump will also return to the White House as a climate change denier, poised to take apart Biden's green policies with his pledge to "drill, baby, drill" for oil.
Legacy ruined
Biden's legacy was supposed to be a Harris victory that would keep Trump out of power – instead, it now lies in tatters.
Many Democrats feel he waited too long to step aside for his vice-president, ignoring growing concerns about his age, health and mental acuity until it was too late.
Had Harris won, the rows over his age and refusal to bow out earlier would have been forgiven by the Democratic Party.
Biden would have been able to celebrate a list of achievements in his one term that included guiding the country out of the Covid crisis, passing historic legislation, building infrastructure and promoting green energy.
On the foreign front he helped Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion and hoped, against hope, that he could still end Israel's conflict in Gaza.
Democrats are now likely to judge Biden far more harshly. His bid for a second term was "perhaps a little bit of arrogance, or over-reaching," said Alex Keena, an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Back in 2020 Biden had run on a promise to be a transitional president, but his decision to seek four more years meant that when he dropped out there was no time for a proper primary to find a replacement.
"It was a missed opportunity for the Democrats to nominate someone with broad appeal," said Keena.
"Granted, they might have nominated Kamala Harris... but as a result, the country didn't get a chance to really know Kamala Harris or see her fight for the Democratic base."
– TIMES/AFP
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