Democrat challenger Joe Biden has been elected as the 46th President of the United States of America. After an excruciating delay of over four days, the results of the last few states were announced handing Biden the eventual victory.
Biden won the state of Pennsylvania which gave him 20 electoral votes and eventually the 270 required to win the presidency. Trump stopped at 214 votes while Biden has an insurmountable lead with 284 votes after he won in Nevada. Pennsylvania, the first state and where the US Declaration of Independence was signed, has given Biden the victory to be the next president.
Trump has not conceded defeat and has refused to go down without a fight. Republicans have raised millions to fight legal challenges against vote recount in several states. He has already threatened that there might not be a peaceful transfer of power and made unfounded accusations of voter fraud. Many TV channels even took the unusual step to stop the president’s speech for spreading misinformation.
There has been protests and jubilations over the results and many have been arrested. It is a tradition that the losing candidate gives a concession speech after the election result but Trump’s refusal has set another low example. Biden’s campaign has said Trump will be escorted out of the White House and might have to leave the presidency in disgrace.
Trump has become the first president after George Bush Snr. to lose the presidency after one term. Although Trump may be defeated, Trumpism is still alive and Biden will have numerous challenges to bring back the USA its lost status as a global leader. He has vowed to push the rhetoric behind and become a president for all Americans. The biggest challenge is the coronavirus pandemic and Biden has already decided to form a panel of three leading scientists for a taskforce to tackle the crisis.
Biden will face numerous foreign policy challenges particularly with Israel, Saudi Arabia, India and Russia who have not yet commented on his win. Prime Minister Imran Khan was one of the first leaders to congratulate Biden, stating that he is looking forward to working with him. Biden is well informed about Pakistan and once called it fifty times more important than Afghanistan. The world will be looking at Biden’s presidency to bring some much-needed in American and global politics.
