US Election Updates: Bush Says Trump Has Right to Request Recount and Pursue Legal Challenges

Republican election official Al Schmidt, whose office is responsible for vote counting in Philadelphia, told CBS News' 60 minutes on Sunday that his staff has received death threats since the beginning of the count.

"From the inside looking out, it all feels very deranged," Schmidt said. "At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes, cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it, is something I don't understand." 

Listing the calls his office has received, Schmidt mentioned accusations like "You are cheating", "You are manipulating the vote" and "This is what the Second Amendment is for, people like us."

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng index was up 1.73 percent at the opening trading on Monday, in the wake of Joe Biden’s declaration of victory in the US presidential election.

At the opening of Monday trading, the Hang Seng index gained 444.80 points, reaching the 26,157.77 point mark, according to stock exchange data.

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Tokyo’s benchmark stock index, the Nikkei 225, opened over 1% up on Monday, following Joe Biden’s declaration of victory in the US presidential election, the Kyodo news agency reports.

According to Kyodo, Nikkei gained 1.18 percent in the first 15 minutes of trading on Monday morning, reaching 24,612.71 points.

The broader Topix index gained 13.61 points, or 0.82 percent, reaching the 1,672.10 mark.

Congratulations President-elect @JoeBiden and Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris, and to the American people who voted in record numbers showing the strength and vibrancy of our democracy.

— Condoleezza Rice (@CondoleezzaRice) November 9, 2020

President @realDonaldTrump was WRONGFULLY impeached, UNLAWFULLY spied on.

His supporters were demonized, attacked, & marginalized,

We were called deplorable, irredeemable CHUMPS!

Now we are expected to roll over & unite behind Joe Biden without asking questions? NOPE‼️

— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) November 8, 2020

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Congratulations President-elect @joebiden and @kamalaharris on your victory in the US Presidential election. With so many issues facing the international community, your message of unity is one we share. New Zealand looks forward to working with you both! [Photo by Getty Images. It captures Joe Biden in 2016 as he was welcomed at Government House in Auckland by the Defence Force Māori cultural group]

Публикация от Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) 7 Ноя 2020 в 12:45 PST

#خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين وسمو #ولي_العهد يهنئان السيد جوزيف بايدن بمناسبة فوزه في الانتخابات الرئاسية في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.#واس pic.twitter.com/g3zfopwsRQ

— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) November 8, 2020

Since when does the Lamestream Media call who our next president will be? We have all learned a lot in the last two weeks!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2020

George W. Bush said American people should have confidence that US Presidential election was 'fundamentally fair'.

At the same time the former president congratulated Joe Biden on reaching winning tally, adding that he has spoken to the Democrat.

Bush also pledged to help Biden in any way he can.

'Joe Biden is a good man,' George Bush said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will ask Joe Biden, who was declared winner in the US presidential election by major media, to return the US embassy in Israel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, Israel Hayom newspaper reported on Sunday, citing a senior member of Abbas' staff.

Biden has previously said that if elected, he would not reverse the decision of incumbent Republican President Donald Trump on the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognition of the latter as the capital of Israel but would also open a US consulate in East Jerusalem.

According to the newspaper, Abbas intends to ask Biden to revoke the US' recognition of Jerusalem's status and move the embassy back to Tel Aviv, despite the politician's previous statements on the issue.

In addition, the Palestinian Authority has sent messages to Biden informing him of the country's willingness to resume US-brokered peace talks with Israel from the point at which they were suspended in 2016, the newspaper added.

Earlier in the day, Abbas congratulated Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris on their victory and expressed hope for working with the new administration to strengthen the Palestinian-US relations and achieve freedom, independence, justice and dignity for the Palestinian people.

Since Washington announces the decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, the Palestinian leadership de facto has not had high-level contacts with the Trump administration. The Palestinian Authority has also been also extremely skeptical about Trump's peace initiatives, considering him biased in favor of Israel.

Bolivia expects its relations with the United States to improve following Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the US presidential election, the Latin American country's Socialist president-elect, Luis Arce, said on Sunday.

Though official results of the 2020 US presidential election have not been announced yet, as the vote counting continues, all major US media have already called the presidential race for Biden, with the presidential candidate claiming victory on Saturday.

"The US people participated in the democratic election, which resulted in the victory of President Joe Biden and the first female vice president, Kamala Harris. With the new administration, we predict better relations that will lead to the well-being of our peoples," Arce wrote on Twitter.

Relations between Bolivia and the US have been strained for years. In September 2008, then-Bolivian President Evo Morales expelled US Ambassador Philip Goldberg for allegedly promoting separatist movements in the country. In response, the United States expelled the Bolivian ambassador and called the allegations against Goldberg groundless.

The situation changed when Bolivia's interim government — supported by Washington — took office after Morales stepped down from his fourth term in office last November and fled to Mexico amid mass protests over his contentious election victory earlier in 2019. Shortly after, the interim government appointed Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar as the country's first ambassador to the United States in 11 years.

...and Detroit with a long series of election problems (to put it mildly).” @JonathanTurley

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2020

71,000,000 Legal Votes. The most EVER for a sitting President!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden is ahead of incumbent US President Donald Trump by approximately 10,000 votes in the state of Georgia, according to the state's vote count results.

The United States held its presidential election on Tuesday. To be elected, a candidate needs to win enough states to have at least 270 votes in the Electoral College.

Upon processing about 99 percent of ballots, Biden is shown to have won 49.48 percent of Georgia's vote, over 2,465,500 votes, while Trump has 49.28 percent or 2,455,305.

Georgia has 16 electors which will later cast their vote in the Electoral College for the winner of the state's popular vote.

Earlier in the day, the Washington Post reported, citing informed sources that Biden plans to sign a number of executive orders after his inauguration, including the one on the reversal of the US withdrawal from WHO.

South Korea will continue efforts to strengthen its alliance with the United States under the presidency of Joe Biden and work to make progress in the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"Based on the network that we have so far built and through close communication and cooperation, we will continue our efforts to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance and make progress in the process for peace on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

"I am very confident from climate change to cooperation on coronavirus and counter-terrorism there is a huge bedrock of underlying interests and values that binds us very closely together ... He will have no greater ally, no more dependable friend than the United Kingdom," Dominic Raab told Sky News.

"I congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his victory as President of the United States of America for the coming period. I look forward to working with the President-elect and his administration", Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement.

Congratulations to President-elect @JoeBiden & Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris. Afghanistan looks forward to continuing/deepening our multilayered strategic partnership w/ the United States—our foundational partner—including in counterterrorism & bringing peace to Afghanistan.

— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) November 8, 2020

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) November 8, 2020

2/2
The President's-elect friendship and distinguished record of support for Israel dates back nearly half a century.
I strongly believe that under his leadership the strategic indispensable alliance between our two countries will continue to flourish and prosper.

— גבי אשכנזי - Gabi Ashkenazi (@Gabi_Ashkenazi) November 8, 2020

The reported fraud in the latest US presidential election is bound to reduce the power of Joe Biden’s authority, Former Virginia State Senator Richard Black told Sputnik.

"I think it is so widespread that even if Biden is eventually elected by the Electoral College, I think it's going to weaken his [Biden’s] authority as president," Black said. "I have a feeling that he will be perceived as someone who did not actually win the election, it was just an election that was kind of rigged. So I think that's going to be a bit of a problem for him going forward if he is sworn in as president."

Black’s comments come after major US television networks projected that Democratic nominee Joe Biden has won the US presidential election. Biden claimed his victory in an address to the nation on Saturday in Wilmington, Delaware.

"The news media, the major broadcast networks have coordinated their efforts and they have all come out with a declaration that Joe Biden is the winner of the presidential campaign," Black said. "But the Constitution does not have a role for the news media in selecting the president that is all decided of the Electoral College."

The former lawmaker pointed out that at this point, no state has certified the election, adding that it certainly does help Biden that the national news media has projected him a winner.

"I think to some extent they felt a sense of pressure," he noted. "The news media, they clearly wanted Biden to win. And there is so much discussion about the transparent voter fraud all over the country, that I think they felt that they had to move quickly before we go before the opponents began to gather steam. So, where we are right now, the news media has declared Biden the president. And we will we will just have to see in the coming weeks where that all leads."

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has congratulated Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris on victory in the presidential election, saying that the turnout from Native voters was pivotal in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona.

"NCAI looks forward to working closely with the Biden-Harris transition team in the coming weeks to ensure that Indian Country’s key priorities are addressed, and with the Biden-Harris Administration over the next four years to strengthen the government-to-government relationship and the federal government’s fulfillment of its trust and treaty obligations to tribal nations," the NCAI said in a Saturday statement.

I have great expectations of advancing and opening up the future development of our bilateral relations.
Katchi Kapshida (같이 갑시다)!

— 문재인 (@moonriver365) November 8, 2020

I look forward to working with the new administration and leaders on both sides in Congress on getting the surging pandemic under control, engaging partners around the world on issues like poverty and climate change, and addressing issues of inequality and opportunity at home.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) November 7, 2020

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Unity, empathy, and decency are not characteristics of a bygone era. Congratulations President-elect @JoeBiden and Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris. By voting in record numbers, the American people proved again that our democracy is strong.

Публикация от Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) 7 Ноя 2020 в 12:37 PST

Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said on Saturday that he cannot congratulate the winner of the US presidential election before legal proceedings are concluded, adding that he does not want to be disrespectful of the US election process.

"We don't want to be imprudent. We don't want to act lightly and we want to respect people's self-determination and rights", Lopez Obrador said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is open to working with any president of the United States as the normalization of bilateral relations remains a priority for Moscow, Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian lower house's International Affairs Committee, said.

Slutsky believes that Russia-US relations are unlikely to change dramatically for the better with the change of the US president, given that Joe Biden, the Democrat candidate who claimed having won the vote on Saturday, has earlier described Russia as the US' key adversary.

"But Russia — and this has been declared at the highest level — is ready to work with any US president. The normalization of the bilateral relations is still one of the priorities, including for the parliament. We will analyze all aspects and opportunities of the Russian-US dialogue at a round table of the State Duma [lower house] at the end of November," the lawmaker told journalists.

Slutsky said that he meant not a new "restart" of relations, but rather a search for constructive cooperation, primarily in such spheres as global health care, strategic stability, arms control, cyber security and peaceful space.

Felicito al pueblo estadounidense por las elecciones presidenciales. Asimismo, felicito por su victoria al Presidente electo Joe Biden y a la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/H5z7PCcVW7

— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) November 7, 2020

Warm congratulations to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the Japan-US Alliance and ensure peace, freedom, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

— 菅 義偉 (@sugawitter) November 7, 2020

Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris for becoming President-Elect and Vice President-Elect of the United States. We celebrate the high voter turnout and the friendship that unite our two countries 🇨🇷🇺🇸

— Carlos Alvarado Quesada (@CarlosAlvQ) November 7, 2020

The king of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their projected US election victory, expressing hopes for continuing "constructive cooperation at all levels" and wishing "progress and prosperity" to the American people.

71,000,000 Legal Votes. The most EVER for a sitting President!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

On behalf of the Sudanese people, I congratulate @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris for their election as President & Vice President. Looking forward to working closely with them both to continue building bridges of friendship and cooperation between our two nations and countries.

— Abdalla Hamdok (@SudanPMHamdok) November 7, 2020

Please see the statement from Jimmy Carter below. pic.twitter.com/VTkkHETZCQ

— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) November 7, 2020

. @realDonaldTrump please concede. I know you can see how America has suffered during this election and fought over the presidency for 4 years. Please do your part in a peaceful transition of power so our transition can be peaceful too. #Election2020

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 7, 2020

Felicidades Presidente @JoeBiden por un triunfo que fortalece la democracia de #EEUU. Mis mejores deseos para usted, @KamalaHarris y su equipo. Espero que podamos trabajar juntos, como en el pasado, para fortalecer la alianza de nuestros países. 🇭🇳🤝🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aro6jzLe9N

— Juan Orlando H. (@JuanOrlandoH) November 7, 2020

Netanyahu's office gave Likud ministers these talking points: 1. Israel will work well with Biden as it worked well with Trump. 2. Israel hopes Biden continues normalization process with Arab states, tough on Iran and doesn't roll back Trump's decisions (Jerusalem, Golan etc)

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 7, 2020

Congratulations to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris on winning the US elections. Our sincere wishes for further development and prosperity for the American people. The UAE and USA are friends and allies with a strong historic partnership that we look forward to strengthening together.

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) November 7, 2020

I extend warmest congratulations to President-elect @JoeBiden, a friend and trusted partner in the cause of building a better Iraq. We look forward to working to achieve our common goals and strengthening peace and stability in the entire Middle East.

— Barham Salih (@BarhamSalih) November 7, 2020

Congratulations to President-Elect @JoeBiden and VP-Elect @KamalaHarris. I look forward to working with you on further advancing the solid historic partnership between Jordan and the United States, in the interest of our shared objectives of peace, stability and prosperity pic.twitter.com/Q5qN565nGa

— عبدالله بن الحسين (@KingAbdullahII) November 7, 2020

The situation in the US & what they themselves say about their elections is a spectacle! This is an example of the ugly face of liberal democracy in the US. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is absolutely clear, the definite political, civil, & moral decline of the US regime.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) November 7, 2020

The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, congratulated Joe Biden on Saturday on his projected victory in the US presidential election, according to Oman's state news agency.

In the congratulatory letter that he sent to Biden, sultan expressed his "sincere congratulations... for obtaining the trust of the American people and for his election as president of the upcoming presidential term".

Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for their historic win. In this incredibly difficult moment in American history, I wish them the best as they attempt to bring our nation together around an agenda of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 7, 2020

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. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead.

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 7, 2020

He will be a President for all of our families. pic.twitter.com/iGPKLMMIcK

— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) November 7, 2020

The American people have chosen the 46th President of the United States. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. We wish you good luck and all the best. We are looking forward to cooperating with you to tackle the challenges ahead of us.

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) November 7, 2020

The defeat of incumbent US leader Donald Trump in the country's presidential election will mark the defeat of the policy of interventionism, former Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Saturday.

"Trump's defeat in the election is the defeat for racist and fascist policies. Their interventionist methods ... have failed," Morales wrote on Twitter.

Congratulations to my friends, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris — our next President and Vice President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/febgqxUi1y

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2020

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg congratulated Joe Biden on his apparent victory in the US presidential election, saying he regarded the Democrat as the alliance's strong supporter.

"I warmly welcome the election of Joe Biden as the next President of the United States. I know Mr. Biden as a strong supporter of NATO and the transatlantic relationship," he said.

Stoltenberg said US leadership and a strong NATO was important for taking on a more assertive Russia and China and dealing with such challenges as international terrorism, cyber- and missile threats.

"I look forward to working very closely with President-elect Biden, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and the new administration to further strengthen the bond between North America and Europe," he said.

Congratulations to @JoeBiden, the new President-elect of the United States. Europe and the United States share a system of values - values that we stand up for together. Looking forward to our future cooperation!

— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) November 7, 2020

This Election isn’t over yet. We still have a long way to go and President Trump needs YOU to step up & join the Election Defense Task Force.

Donate & join NOWhttps://t.co/C99j8j4vki

— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) November 7, 2020

"The American citizens have made their choice. Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States of America," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement, adding Kamala Harris would become the country's first female vice president.

"I look forward to the future cooperation with President Biden. Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we want to take on the big challenges of our time," the chancellor continued.

The Americans have chosen their President. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let's work together!

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 7, 2020

Mayors of London and Paris have also congratulated Biden.

"London looks forward to working with you — it's time to get back to building bridges, not walls," London’s Sadiq Khan wrote.

Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/xrpE99W4c4

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 7, 2020

"Joe Biden is the 46th US president. Heartfelt congratulations! He and we need to wish that he can make the whole world 'united' again and overcome the split. He is a strong partner for Europe, among other things, on the climate issue," European Parliament Vice-President Othmar Karas wrote on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani told reporters on Saturday that the campaign would file lawsuits over alleged voter fraud in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with up to 90 witnesses ready to testify.

Multiple news outlets have called the state of Pennsylvania for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden after he made significant gains in the state’s two largest cities, erasing an early 800,000 vote advantage for Trump. Biden’s projected victory in Pennsylvania was enough for US media to call the presidential election for Biden.

"Standing behind me are called witnesses. They will eventually, soon hopefully, appear in court and give this testimony because we are going to file a federal lawsuit that will cover [Philadelphia] and Pittsburgh," Giuliani said during a press briefing, in which he called some 300,000 ballots into question in two of Pennsylvania’s largest cities.

Giuliani said that the Trump campaign stands ready to call on as many witnesses as needed by federal judges, adding that as many as 90 as witnesses are ready to testify.

This election is about so much more than @JoeBiden or me. It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started.pic.twitter.com/Bb9JZpggLN

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020

"It is good that there are finally clear figures. We look forward to working with the next US government. We want to invest in our cooperation for a new transatlantic beginning, a new deal." 

We kept the republic! Congratulations to Joe Biden on his victory for the soul of our country. Congratulations to Kamala Harris for making history. It’s a time to heal and a time to grow together. E Pluribus Unum.

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) November 7, 2020

Moments ago in Dupont Circle! #bidenharis2020 pic.twitter.com/xhWAn6k4Ks

— ChrisDC (@CpyburnDC) November 7, 2020

Congratulations, @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. Our two countries are close friends, partners, and allies. We share a relationship that’s unique on the world stage. I’m really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 7, 2020

Sitting US President Donald Trump’s campaign will begin asserting its claim to victory in the presidential election in court on Monday, Trump said in a statement on Saturday.

Multiple news outlets now project that Democratic challenger Joe Biden has won the presidential election in the United States.

"Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," Trump said.

America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.

The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not.

I will keep the faith that you have placed in me. pic.twitter.com/moA9qhmjn8

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 7, 2020

Statement from President @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/vAXtVk4Ifn

— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) November 7, 2020

Democratic nominee Joe Biden has won the presidential election in the United States, the CNN and NBC broadcasters and the AP news agency projected on Saturday.

According to their data, Biden secured the necessary 270 electoral votes.

The media outlets proceed from the current results of the vote counting in Pennsylvania.

The official ballot counting is still ongoing.

Joe Biden Campaign is planning for possible prime-time speech from the Democratic candidate on Saturday in hopes the presidential race is called, his aide said.

Joe Biden is leading in the battleground state of Arizona with 49.5 per cent of votes as 97 per cent of the estimated vote tallied so far. Donald Trump[ has 48.7 percen, according to Edison Research.

However, according to the latest results of the vote counting, which is still ongoing, Democratic contender Joe Biden leads Trump both in the popular vote and the electoral vote.

Evangelicals made up 23% of the 2020 vote and strongly favored Donald Trump, with about 8 in 10 backing him, according to AP VoteCast.

Big press conference today in Philadelphia at Four Seasons Total Landscaping — 11:30am!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020