Former President Barack Obama congratulated former Vice President Joe Biden as “president-elect” on Saturday after corporate media outlets declared him the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
“I know he’ll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart, whether or not he had their vote,” Obama said in a statement. “So I encourage every American to give him a chance and lend him your support.”
Obama said that the results of the election proved that the country was still “deeply and bitterly divided” and that Biden and Harris would have to lead the effort to bring the country together.
“We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way,” he said.
Obama said he could not be prouder for Biden and his wife Jill as well as the “groundbreaking” achievement for Sen. Kamala Harris as the first woman and the first black woman to serve as vice president.
The former president warned that Biden faced tough challenges after taking office, citing “a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril.”
He encouraged all supporters of the campaign to stay involved with the fight as active citizens of the country.
“Enjoy this moment. Then stay engaged. I know it can be exhausting,” he said.