United States President Donald Trump on Thursday finally conceded defeat in last year’s presidential election, announcing via a statement that there will be an orderly transition of power on January 20.
The statement came soon after a joint session of the US Congress certified Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the US Presidential Election held in November last year. Biden is set to take over as US president on January 20.
“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted…,” Trump said.
The outdoing president described his rule as ‘the greatest first term in presidential history’.
“While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again,” he stated.
Biden, 78, and California Senator Kamala Harris, 56, are scheduled to be sworn in as the President and Vice President of the country on January 20. The inauguration is expected to be a low-key affair amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
So far, Trump had refused to acknowledge Biden as the president-elect and was trying to legally challenge the November 2020 presidential election result. Biden and Harris had won a record number of popular votes, more than 80 millions and secured as many as 306 Electoral College votes.
While today’s exercise was supposed to be a mere formality as Biden had secured more than 270 Electoral College votes – required to clinch the presidency – the session was keenly watched because of Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the November 2020 election result and blocking a peaceful transfer of power.
Today’s Congress session was marred by pro-Trump rioters storming the US Capitol building which forced the joint session of the Congress to be adjourned for a brief period.
