Donald Trump has refused to accept the result of the US election after Joe Biden was declared the winner.
Mr Biden clinched victory on Saturday – some four days after polls closed – after a win in Pennsylvania pushed him over the threshold of 270 electoral college votes.
As the news broke on Saturday morning US time, many Americans took to the streets to express their joy after a knife-edge election cycle.
In New York City, crowds gathered in the streets and in Times Square, banging pots and pans together in impromptu parties to celebrate the Democrat’s win over Mr Trump.
The president has refused to accept the result
AFP via Getty ImagesHowever, the Republican incumbent made it clear on Twitter that he considered himself to the real winner,
Mr Trump wrote: “THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS.
“I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES.
“BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!”
THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020
Trump's supporters also refused to accept the result of the election.
Chanting "This isn't over! and "Stop the steal," supporters of President Donald Trump protested at state capitals across the country Saturday.
From Atlanta and Tallahassee to Bismarck, Boise and Phoenix, crowds ranging in size from a few dozen to a few thousand decried the news of Joe Biden's victory after more than three exhausting days of vote-counting put the Democrat over the top. Skirmishes broke out in some places.
In Atlanta, outside the state Capitol in the longtime Republican stronghold of Georgia, chants of "Lock him up!" rang out among an estimated 1,000 Trump supporters. Others chanted, "This isn't over! This isn't over!" and "Fake news!" The streets were awash with American flags and Trump banners.
Some of Trump’s supporters protested the result
REUTERSMeanwhile, Joe Biden's supporters celebrated his victory.
Car horns were sounded in the streets of many cities, including Los Angeles, while fireworks erupted in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jubilant demonstrators marched through Hollywood chanting “it’s a new day” as they celebrated Mr Biden’s election victory.
Activists carrying Black Lives Matter signs, Pride flags and placards bearing the names of people killed by police beat drums and danced along Sunset Boulevard as passing drivers in the liberal stronghold beeped their approval.
Many of the passing cars had American flags attached.
Biden’s supporters were jubilant
Getty ImagesA demonstrator with a megaphone led calls of “show me what America looks like” and was joined on the march by masked protesters of different ages and races.
Joe Biden’s victory was powered by a broad and racially diverse coalition of voters driven to the polls by fierce opposition to President Donald Trump and anxiety over a deadly pandemic.
Both nationwide and in key battleground states across the Midwest and Sun Belt, the Democrat dominated with voters worried about the coronavirus and hungry for the federal government to do more to contain its spread, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide.
After four years of political turbulence under Mr Trump, Mr Biden handily won voters looking for a leader who could unify the country, and those pushing for racial justice.
More saw him as empathetic and honest, and willing to stand up to extremism, compared with the Republican incumbent.
Joe Biden wins US election to become President of the United States
Donald Trump says he will challenge the US election result in court
America’s relief as US presidential election called for Joe Biden
Boris Johnson congratulates Joe Biden on US election victory
The fall of the Trump empire could leave Boris dangerously exposed
