Obama speaks at a rally in support of Biden on the eve of the election. ©AFP Elijah Nouvelage

 

Washington (AFP) – Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election, bringing an end to Donald Trump’s turbulent four years in office, set off a flood of congratulations and reactions.

Here is a selection:

– Barack Obama: ‘Historic and decisive’ –

“In this election, under circumstances never experienced, Americans turned out in numbers never seen. And once every vote is counted, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will have won a historic and decisive victory,” Obama said of his former deputy.

– Hillary Clinton: ‘Repudiation of Trump’ –

“It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Onward, together,” Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, wrote on Twitter.

– Bill Clinton: ‘Democracy has won’ –

“America has spoken and democracy has won. Now we have a president-elect and vice president-elect who will serve all of us and bring us all together,” the former president posted on Twitter.

– Nancy Pelosi: ‘New day’ –

“Today marks the dawning of a new day of hope for America. A record-shattering 75 million Americans cast their ballots to elect Joe Biden president of the United States — a historic victory that has handed Democrats a mandate for action,” said the speaker of the House of Representatives in a statement.

– Mitt Romney: ‘Good will and admirable character’ –

“Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character,” tweeted Senator Romney, a frequent Trump critic who was the only Republican to vote to uphold his impeachment in February.

– Jeb Bush: ‘Heal deep wounds’ –

“Congratulations to President-elect Biden. I have prayed for our President most of my adult life. I will be praying for you and your success,” tweeted Bush, brother of former president George W. Bush and who lost to Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries.

“Now is the time to heal deep wounds. Many are counting on you to lead the way.”

– Bernie Sanders: ‘Create nation built on justice’ –

“I want to congratulate all those who worked so hard to make this historic day possible. Now, through our continued grassroots organizing, let us create a government that works for ALL and not the few. Let us create a nation built on justice, not greed and bigotry,” tweeted Sanders, who lost to Biden in the Democratic primaries.

– Elizabeth Warren: ‘Moral clarity’ –

“Americans chose Joe and Kamala to lead us forward with purpose and moral clarity. We’ve got a lot to do. Let’s get to work,” Warren, who also ran against Biden in the Democratic primaries, said on Twitter.

– Jimmy Carter: ‘Positive changes’ –

“Rosalynn joins me in congratulating our friends President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We are proud of their well-run campaign and look forward to seeing the positive change they bring to our nation,” former president Carter said in a statement.

– Newt Gingrich: ‘Fix is in’ –

“If you want to see how much the fix is in, votes are still being counted, no recounts have started, challenges are ignored, 5 states are within one percent but the media pack has declared Biden won,” the former Republican speaker of the House of Representatives wrote on Twitter.

– LeBron James: ‘Let’s celebrate!’ –

NBA star James, who led a high-profile effort to drive voter turnout, tweeted a photo of his famous blocked shot in the 2016 finals, but replaced his face with Biden’s and his opponent’s with Trump’s.

He also addressed a message to Philadelphia, the biggest city in the state of Pennsylvania, which swung the election in Biden’s favor.

“THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Let’s celebrate! Responsibly still.”

– Kim Kardashian –

The reality show star signaled her support for Biden and Harris even though her husband, hip hop star Kanye West, ran for president under the “Birthday Party” label and gained some 60,000 votes.

Kardashian tweeted red, white and blue hearts while sharing posts from the president-elect and vice president-elect.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.