World

Biden wins presidential race in a deeply divided United States

Biden wins presidential race in a deeply divided United States

By Reuters

File - Former Vice President Joe Biden and US Senator Kamala Harris take the stage before the start of the second night of the second US 2020 presidential Democratic candidates debate in Detroit, Michigan, US, on July 31, 2019. Photo: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) DemocratJoe Biden captured the U.S. presidency on Saturday, several major television networks said, as voters narrowly rebuffed Republican incumbent Donald Trump's tumultuous leadership and embraced Biden's promise to fight the coronavirus pandemic and fix the economy in a divided nation. When the former vice president enters the White House on Jan. 20, the oldest person to assume the office at age 78, he likely will face a difficult task governing in a deeply polarized Washington, underscored by a record nationwide voter turnout in a fight to the finish. His projected victory came after four days of nail-biting suspense over the outcome of Tuesday's election, with the counting of votes in a handful of battleground states ongoing thanks to a flood of mail-in ballots. Biden said on Friday he expected to win the race but stopped short of giving a victory speech. A Trump adviser acknowledged on Friday that the race had tilted against Trump, but said the president was not ready to admit defeat.