Joe Biden edged to victory in the US election after taking the lead in the hotly contested key state of Pennsylvania.
Some US analysts were already claiming the momentum is now unstoppable, with Biden on his way to the White House as 46th president.
Trump earlier mounted a desperate last ditch fight to hold on, making wild claims of fraud and “cheating” without any evidence.
Trump’s Republican team filed lawsuits in three states in an attempt to save his presidency against a record-breaking haul of votes for Biden across America.
Victory in Pennsylvania would add 20 electoral college votes to Biden’s total, taking him over the 270 threshold to 273.
He was also narrowly in the lead in Georgia, having taken Wisconsin and Michigan. However, a recount was ordered by the state when the tiny size of the margin between the candidates became clear on Friday afternoon.
Trump on Thursday night alleged, without evidence, he is the victim of interference from “phoney polls” as well as “big media, big money and big tech”. The Republicans took court action in attempts to improve his chances of victory.
“If you count the legal votes, I easily won,” he wrongly claimed.
Earlier, Biden used a measured tone to say “democracy is sometimes messy, it sometimes requires a little patience”. He added that he had “no doubt” he will eventually be declared the winner.
“Each ballot must be counted and that’s what we’re going to see going through now and that’s how it should be,” he said from a stage in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, next to his running mate Kamala Harris.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made her view clear on social media, saying the world be a "dark place" at times "but today we are seeing a wee break in the clouds".
In a desperate move, Trump's campaign stated: "This election is not over. The false projection of Joe Biden as the winner is based on results in four states that are far from final.”
Further unsubstantiated claims included improperly cast ballots in Nevada and incorrect predictions in Arizona.
Trump carried on his increasingly bitter struggle to stay in the White House with another claim on Twitter, misspelling Philadelphia.
"Philadelpiha has got a rotten history on election integrity," his post stated.
