Joe Biden pledges to be a president ‘who seeks to unify’

 

Joe Biden has pledged to be a president “who seeks not to divide, but to unify” in his maiden address as President-elect of the United States.

Speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, Mr Biden said his election win was a victory for “the people”.

He said: “The people of this nation have spoken. They’ve delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for you the people.

“I’m humbled by the trust and confidence you’ve 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, only sees the United States. And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of all of you, and for that, I believe, is what America is all about.”

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris took to the stage first, commencing the proceedings by reflecting on civil rights leader John Lewis.

She said: “Congressman John Lewis, before his passing, wrote ‘Democracy is not a state. It is an act’. And what he meant, was that America’s democracy is not guaranteed.

“It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. To guard it and never take it for granted.”

She continued: “Protecting our democracy takes struggle. It takes sacrifice. But there is joy in it. And there is progress.

“Because we the people have the power to build a better future. And when our very democracy was on the ballot in this election, the very soul of America at stake, the world watching, you ushered in a new day for America.”

Ms Harris also said she was thinking of her mother and “the generations of women, black women, Asian, white, Latina, native American women who throughout our nation’s history have paved the way for this moment tonight”.