Following the reported results of the 2020 presidential election, the administration of United States President Donald Trump has filed lawsuits amid assertions of voter fraud and concerns over poll-watchers and voter ID laws.
In a statement released on Nov. 7 after the presidential race was called for Biden by some media outlets, Trump promised to pursue all legal avenues available to challenge the outcome of the election and referenced assertions that poll-watchers were denied access to view the ballot counting process in some areas.
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure that election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated,” Trump said. “Only a party engaged in wrongdoing would unlawfully keep observers out of the courtroom — and then fight in court to block their access.”
Recently re-elected South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News that the president should continue to refuse to concede, and urged Republicans to take the side of the president.
“If Republicans don’t challenge and change the U.S. election system, there will never be another Republican president elected again,” Graham said.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said that the president was open to challenging the reported results of the election.
“President Trump is 100 percent within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options,” McConnell said. “Suffice it to say, a few legal inquiries from the president do not exactly spell the end of the republic.”
The night of Nov. 7, in Wilmington, Delaware, projected Vice President-elect Kamala Harris took to the stage to address the nation. Notably, she wore an all-white pantsuit in honor of the suffragettes of the 20th century.
Her speech mirrored this message, as she attributed the historic moment to the women of color who “have paved the way for this moment tonight — women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality, liberty and justice for all, including the Black women who are often — too often overlooked.”
“And while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” Harris said. “Because every little girl that’s watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
Following the conclusion of her remarks, Harris introduced Biden, who called for unity.
“All those who supported us, I am proud of the campaign we built and ran,” Biden said. “I am proud of the coalition we put together: Democrats, Republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservative, young, old, rural, suburban, gay, straight, transgender, Native American.”
This was the first time in U.S. history a president-elect used the word “transgender” in their victory speech. Biden then referenced a portion of the electorate that was vital to his victory.
“I mean it: Especially in those moments when the campaign was at its slowest, the African American community stood up again for me,” Biden said. “You all had my back, and I will have yours.”
Biden quoted “On Eagle’s Wings,” a hymn he said meant a lot to him in the final months of his campaign, centering his message on faith as he had for much of his candidacy.
“Together on eagle’s wings we embark on the work God called upon us to do with full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with love of country, a thirst for justice. Let it be the nation that we know we can be, a nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed,” Biden said.
Biden closed his victory speech by connecting this message to the words of his late grandparents.
“Remember, as our grandpop said when we walked out of our home, he said, ‘Joe, keep the faith.’ Our grandmother, when she was alive, said, ‘No, spread the faith,’” Biden said.
