2020 is now the best year woohooo this is a cbs news special the election of joe biden, reporting tonight from cbs news election headquarters in times square. Norah odonnell. Odonnell good evening. And you are looking live at celebrations in new york city tonight after a week of waiting and wondering and ballot counting, america has decided. Joe biden has been elected next president of the United States. Incredible crowds across america, from here, in times square, to the streets outside of the white house, voters are cheering. At the Biden Campaign headquarters in wilmington, delaware, supporters of the president elect and his running mate, Kamala Harris are also partying. The new president elect and Vice President elect will be speaking there shortly, giving the acceptance speeches theyve waited their whole lives to give. S,d there will be fireworks, were told. Reporter fireworks and more than just rhetorical ones. The real ones. Welcome once again to our cbs news election headquarters. As we come on the air tonight, the 77yearold former Vice President is facing the biggest challenge of his political life, leading a country in the grips of a deadly coronavirus pandemic that is also deeply divided. E cbshats because while cbs news and other news organizations have projected that he is the next president , the current president disagrees. President trump tonight still has not conceded the election and is vowing to fight the results in courtrooms in four states. We should note that more than 70 million americans voted for mr. Trump, so tonight is both ecedented. Nd also unprecedented. Im joined by our powerhouse political team, gayle king, john dickerson, nancy cordes ed okeefe and major garrett. And as we wait for joe biden and , wela harris to speak, we should talk about this incredibly historic moment as elect, joesidentelect, joe biden, is talking about trying to restore civility and stability. Reporter i was looking at the 74 days between now and when he moves into the finest home in public housing, and he has probably in that house more than any other person who has actually lived in there. And now he lives there, and the todo list is very long and 74 days shes a very short period of time to get on top of all the challenges he faces. Re watchinll we are watching the motorcade of the president elect, which has grown in size as he is surrounded by t. S. Secret service and all that entails to protect the next leader of the free world. And, gayle, there is while there is disappointment among President Trumps supporters and republicans, there is also a sense of euphoria in this country. Reporter i called it unbridled knuberance. Its like, norah, the country is having a nationwide block party. You can go from city to city to city and for the most part see people jumping out of their skins. Atwas just around the corner at 44th and broadway asking a police officer, how do you think . He goes, the night is young but i havent seen this many people this happy since the yac yankees championship, which i think really sort of sums it up. You talked about civility most people are wearing their masks some people are not. But people are being very respectful and just very happy and and embracing of one another in times square. You feel. It. The joy is palpable. Odonnell 2020 has been so difficult for so many, not just because of the coronavirus but job losses and others. There is a sense for those who support joe biden, a sense of jubilation tonight, and thats why theyre out in the streets. Reporter its like the montage you had when we came in. In the beginning people were saying, 2020, god, let it be over. Now you heard the woman saying, 2020, best year ever . Y, itdonnell and, nancy, it is historic in so many ways not only because of what this means a new president , as every election year. But also because for the first time we will have a woman in the executive office as Kamala Harris is the Vice President. President. Reporter right. 36 years after the first woman became a Vice President ial nominee, geraldine ferraro, Kamala Harris is now going to be going to the white house. A lot of firsts it there. She is the first woman, she is the first African American woman, first woman of indian descent, and well have the ,irst gentleman, her husband, Douglas Douglas emhoff, a lawyer. Hes also the first spouse of jewishamerican descent. And, you know, i think its meaningful, not just because women have broken this glass ntoning that Hillary Clinton talked about sowch in 2016, but also because of what it represents for young girls who are now seeing someone who looks like them who is going to be working there in the white house. Odonnell and, ed, the challenges are huge for joe biden. Reporter they are, emendous. S. And we tallied up the political unit, sort of dayone promises that hes made, things like rejoining the world health organization, rescinding the muslim ban, rejoining the climate accord, an executive order to find the parents of those 545 separated children. Also, call World Leaders on day one. I mean, it is a tremendous day one. You can only imagine how the first few weeks will go, and it is something his team has been thinking about and will turn all of its attention to now in the coming days. Reporter Condoleezza Rice says all the new administrations come in and say, on day one, i will. And on day one you wont because you see all the things you didnt know about. Odonnell we will be hearing from the president elect and his running mate very shortly. Lets check in with cbs nikole killion. Shes there at the chase center in wilmington. Ikole, tell us about the mood. Tell us about what we expect to hear. Reporter norah, as you can probably hear behind me, it is a very exuberant and partylike atmosphere as we await president elect joe biden, and Vice President elect Kamala Harris. We expect biden to echo many of the themes we have heard from him throughout the campaign and really focus on trying to bring the country together, and that is a message many people i talk to say they want to hear tonight, especially after they feel they have lived through four years of division. Before his speech tonight, we know the president elect spent a good part of the day with his family, his granddaughter, naomi, tweeted out a picture of him hugging all of his grand kids, not long after the race had been called. A Campaign Aide tells us he actual lie found out he won, much like the rest of us by watching television. He also know he spoke with former president barack obama today who congratulated him, and Vice President elect harris on ory. R historic victory. And while, of course, tonight is all about celebration, the president elect is looking at the road ahead and the work ahead. Hes news has learned that he plans to announce his own Coronavirus Task force on monday with more transition announcements expected in the days and weeks to come. Norah. Odonnell nikole killion, and there you see that large gathering to listen to the president elect, his motorcade arriving there at the chase center, which means we are just toments away from hearing first from the Vice President elect Kamala Harris, who will then introduce the president elect. Reporter we should point out something there. If you see towards the front near where he will speak, there is red, white, and blue vehicles. Laced there. This is scene is indicative of the kind of rallies held, tanced, distanced, they are encouraged to wear masks and you can see there is a larger crowd than was there for the convention in august. They held it in the same parking lot here. Outside a Convention Center that probably hosts r. V. Shows and will now be the center of a very important speech. And wilmington, delaware, a city better known for call centers and tax attorneys is about to join the american magination, along with kennebunkport, mirey. Ge a state that has the largest rest stop named for him as well. They like joe biden in delaware. Reporter its always nice to have a rest stop named after you. Reporter its on my bucket list. It is. laughter regardless of democrat or republican. The other thing i noticed today, guys, the weather was so beautiful. Here it is november. Its unseasonably warm on this side of the country. Ammetimes during the campaign you saw people bundled up in coats. I cant get over how warm its almost like Mother Nature was cooperating. Here, people outside of their cars, youre right, ed, well see how long that lasts, the social distancing. You can feel the energy and joy from people supporting joe biden. Reporter and President Trump himself had a chance to see those people as he was riding in his motorcade back from his golf game in sterling, virginia. He actually rode past the crowds, who made a variety of hand signals reporter a variety of hand signals. Reporter variety of hand signals. They were waving. He looked out the wundto, you know. He looked a little stricken in the pictures we saw of him gazing out, out the window, really being confronted by the jubilation you saw in washington, d. C. , which, of course, is a city that went for joe biden Something Like 936. Odonnell traditionally, at a moment like this, every four years, the president elect has heard from their running mate, a phone call that is placed to say, congratulations on a hardfought race and i look forward to helping you in any way possible. ,hat has happened in the past, when even incumbent president s have lost to challengers. Weijs check in with cbs weijia jiang who is at the white house. Weijia, request any indication that President Trump has called joe biden . Reporter norah, absolutely not. The only certainty about covering this president is that e is not traditional, and that is certainly going to last throughout his presidency. I believe, certainly with regard to whether he will call joe biden. He was on the golf course today when the entire world found out that joe biden had won. And mr. Trump hasnt made any public appearances or remarks, but he did issue a statement through his campaign to say the election is not over. He also continued to peddle conspiracy theories about fraudulent voting on twitter, while falsely claiming that he won the race by a lot. A Senior Campaign adviser tells us that President Trump is frustrated but in a fighting mood, and they still believe they have a path to victory through lawsuts in pennsylvania. But advisers have not been able to answer how the president could possibly make up his deficit in ballots. We are told, though, by two Senior Administration officials tonight that if the president exhausts all his Legal Options and that does not move the final tally, President Trump will concede to biden. But they also added, its way too soon to say that he will also invite his successor to the white house before inauguration, which is a tradition. Now, we should mention, we have not heard from the white house chief of staff, mark meadows, at all today because we have learned he tested positive for covid19, along with four other white house staffers and a Campaign Aide. The president has not talked ngout the spike we are seeing across the country or what he plans to do about it, norah, as he is inside the white house very likely watching to see what joe biden is about to say. Odonnell thank you, weijia jiang. Incredible to think about what is transpiring, the historical significance of that, and also that the president s own chief of staff is now suffering from coronavirus after being out on the campaign trail with him, and also holding a reception at the white house when it is believed he may have been infectious with covid19. Lets go now to cbs jeff pegues. He is with the crowds in black lives matter plaza near the white house where i understand, jeff, they are singing. Reporter they are singing, despite the mask. All the talk, obviously, about covid19. This is a huge celebration out here, norah. People have been gathering through the day on black lives matter plaza. And theyre trying to send a message to the current president. If you look up here, you see this eviction notice . Ehis group wants to make sure that he sees that. You have thousands of people here. There are Police Officers here, too. But theyre mostly on the perimeter, just observing because for the most part here, this has been a peaceful demonstration, a peaceful celebration, if you will. Beyond these barricades, you have a celebration that stretches farther down the street, and perhaps you can make out the white house down the block. Its about three blocks away. The people in this crowd, they want to make sure that the president doesnt get any sleep tonight. Ing. Ear singing. We hear drums. We hear fireworks. Norah. Reporter i hear stevie wonder, too, jeff pegues. I hear that. But when i look at that black indss matter plaza, it reminds me again about john lewis. I talked to someone who was with john lewis when he passed away. And he said its a bittersweet day because this is what john lewis wanted more than anything to see donald trump out of the white house. He did not think that this president disirved the office. He felt that he brought great disrespect to the office. He said in some ways it feels very bittersweet. He said it hit him today that john lewis death became a galvanizing moment for many people who registered to vote when john lewis encouraged ister toplease register to vote. Weve got to do something about donald trump in the white house. He said, so to spew this come on this particular day means everything to the people who loved and cared about john lewis. Odonnell john lewis embodied not only in his actions and nonviolent protests, something he wrote in the New York Times oped that was published after his death, he said the vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. He said democracy is not a state. It is an act. And the best way to engage in democracy is your vote. And what we saw in this year, 2020, which has been the most difficult year for so Many Americans, this unbridled optimism about democracy. And doing it by the power of their vote and what we have is more americans voting than ever before in a president ial election. Reporter on both sides. Odonnell yes. Reporter on both sides. Odonnell the tally now almost 145 million, whether by mailin ballot or even at the polls in order to exercise that really unique role we have as americans. Reporter but a lot of them vote because they were afraid of what joe biden was going to bring to the white house. And we see all of these celebrations. There are a lot of people who are nervous and who are as nervous as many of the people celebrating tonight felt in 2016. And it is a big challenge for the Vice President and for all democratic lawmakers to embrace the celebration and all the reason theyre happy but recognize that we have had a backandforth in american life, where the celebrations of one side have set in the feelings of the other. Reporter at least the difference, john, at least the difference here is the president president elect joe biden is letting that side know, i want to work with you. Im going to be your president , too. And i want us to be united. Thats not something that people got in 2016. He is extending the hand. Reporter true. Theres no question, but it ething and its not something you can just cure with a speech. Reporter yeah, thats right. Odonnell what you see are some fireworks in washington over black lives matter plaza. Tonight will be full of fireworks, not only in washington there, but also in wilmington, delaware, after we sidenteleVice President elect Kamala Harris, who will sidentuce the president elect, and that is coming just moments from now. Of course we will bring that to you live. We want to bring in cbs mola lenghi, he is at Washington Square park in the heart of greenwich village. Mola set the scene there. Reporter norah, obviously, from the moment of the news broke today people flooded the streets here in new york, began celebrating and they have been going at it ever since, as you can see here in Washington Square park. People filled this park here. I heard one woman tell another woman, 2020 needed this. End that might give you a sense of just how so many of these folks feel. Were seeing signs. Were seeing shirts that say things like, dump trump, or out now, which might be an interesting illustration of Something Interesting were nd hearing. Hearing. Ring, lot of what were hearing, the yelling, the chanting, the singing, has just as much to do with the people who are excited about the fact that donald trump will no longer be president , as much as the fact, as much as the prospect of a joe biden administration. I asked 30 people here over the last hour. 16 told me they were just happy donald trump was out. 14 told me it was a combination ocombinationofthetwo. And two people said they were out here celebrating the in fact joe biden was going to be president. Obviously, that is anecdotal. It is a microscopic sampling, and a very very liberal city. But it gives you an idea of what is animating a lot of excitement here in new york city. Norah. Odonnell mola lenghi, thank you. With the crowds here in new york city as we show you the crowds in wilmington, delaware. That have turned out in their cars to listen to the president elect and the Vice President elect and their remarks in this historic night. We will not only have the oldest president in American History joe biden will be 78 when he takes the office but as nancy mentioned earlier, the first woman ever to be Vice President of the United States, the first blark the first indian, and the first daughter of immigrants, which resonates with so Many Americans as the children of immigrants who have come to this country. And at the same time, we should acknowledge those who may have a sense of trepidation, who did not vote for joe biden and Kamala Harris, that voted for the trumppence ticket. And, yet, this is a a president elect who has signaled in every single one of his remarks this week that he wants to be not the president of the blue states or the red states but of the United States of america. And thats the task. In many ways, he has already cessten what will be the success of his legacy. Can he help try and heal this country. Reporter and gayle talked about his hand being extended. So far, the hand is not being weve heard from just six House Republicans so far today congratulating the president elect, one senate republican. Obviously, theres reporter was it Mitch Mcconnell . S not. Orter it was not. Total silence from Mitch Mcconnell. Reporter does that surprise you, nancy, that we havent heard from Mitch Mcconnell . Reporter it does surprise me. Its now been half a day, and we havent heard anything from him. And i just want to contrast this to what we heard four years froog Hillary Clinton, who had a big surprise loss, and within 12 hours, she gave a concession speech in which she said, we must accept this result, and then look to the future. Donald trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. And then, of course, devastated democrats took their cues from her, and they congratulated donald trump as well, even though they had that trepidation that youve described so eloquently. This time around, republicans are taking their cue from their leader, donald trump, and what hes saying is that he thinks that this election was a fraud, that he thinks that these votes were illegitimate which, by the way, is something he has said multiple times in the past, not just in his election against Hillary Clinton, but even in primary states that he lost. After the iowa caucuses, when he lost to ted cruz, he said the election was a fraud. And ted cruz won illegitimately. So this is something reporter he also said, even before this election, if i lose, that it was an illegitimate election and that it was a fraudment. You said there was one senate republican. Who was it . Reporter that was mitt romney of utah. Odonnell ed has some details were learning from bout biden, delaware about biden and harris. L, reporter first of all, that massive flag that you may see there hanging from the Construction Equipment im told is about the sizeave basketball field. The biden basketball court. Reporter did i say basketball field. Basketball court, because its next to the baseball field where the wilmington blue rocks play and this is the parking lot of that baseball stadium, next to that Convention Center, and the large building there is a place where i think the biden press corps will get to know, the westin hotel, one of the Better Options in that town. 360 cars are here, many red, white, and blue, americanmade jeeps it looks like. Everyone has been encouraged to wear masks. Everyone has been encouraged to keep their soc distance. As we can see, there is some of that going on. They handed out the american flags earlier in the day. Thousand came throughout the day to catch a glimpse. And the stage has been set, essentially, since last weekend, when they began putting it up, hoping he would be able to address the world early wednesday morning and he has had to wait until tonight. Odonnell for anybody who has been to a Football Game it looks like a Tailgate Party in many ways. Reporter yes. Odonnell outside, as people have brought their cars, and very different than most nights like this that we usually see every four years, where you have a number of crowd packed in, and they are trying to do this in a cell baatory way. Although i see people with their masks pulled down on their cheeks. But outside and in the warm weather. Reporter many of these people, like us, have been on eek. All week. They live in and around wilmington and were ready to go at a moments notice. Reporter but were not complaining about being on call. Reporter no, no, this has been rivettin. For these folks, it has been a little stressful. They were told they would likely upt an advance notice to show up da it was announced thursday night or friday afternoon. Odonnell ill told were just about five minutes away from hearing from Vice President elect Kamala Harris, as well as the president elect joe biden. I just want to check in briefly with cbs david begnaud. He is just where we are in times square, just outside of our studio. And, david, i understand large crowds, as well. I saw them earlier. Reporter thousands of people, norah. Gayle got it right when she said this feels like a victory celebration for a baseball team, a football team. It reminds me of mardi gras. Thats what it feels like, a big old celebration. James and karina, boyfriend and girlfriend, here in times square, literally watching and waiting for the speech. Your reaction. R know you were in your highrise building here in new york city. What happened . How did you first realize that n . Mething was going on . Well, our window was open so we started hearing all this yelling and clapping and banging on pots and pans. When we realized, you know, biden had been elected, we both just started crying. And we hugged each other. We hugged and cried and it was really overwhelming. Its been such a stressful not to mention a stressful couple of months and years, but these past few days have just been that much more so. So it was a great sigh of relief ning we realized its beginning to change the corner, the nation itself can begin to heal, god willing. And, you know, hopefully i think this is a good starting chapter. Reporter when you speak of healing, do you believe that joe biden will be able to bring about a healing in the country . I do believe so. I mean, hes done it in years passed, in the years reporter excuse me for just one second. We have to go to the president elect. President norah, back to you. Odonnell all right, david begnaud, thank you. And it almost kind of feels like new years eve, talking to people who are gathered outside and the excitement. Reporter it shufers a slow ball drop, too. laughter but you know what reporter john, how do you do that with a straight face . Its so off the cuff and you do it so effortlessly. Reporter thank you, gayle. Im embarrassed i cant say te next thing. We said Football Games, new years eve. But speaking to people today, v. J. Day in times square. Theres that famous photograph of the kiss in times square. There are people who describe a kind of release that comes not just from their guy, joe, winning but from something they have felt constricted by over the past few years. These of course are the people excited to see joe biden elected. But that i never heard in politics, this sense of emotional release on an election day or at the end of an election. Reporter it is very emotional. Thats rail good way to describe it. What you feel when you walk around and talk to the people and look at the people and hear the people, it is extremely emotional for everyone. Reporter and its actually happening all around the world. Its not just here in the United States. We have heard statements from World Leaders and former World Leaders who are a little less constrained about what they say. They have to be less diplomatic who say theyre very relieved to see the outcome we have witnessed. Reporter i hear music, norah. Odonnell thats right. The program is beginning. Lets listen in, as were about to hear from the Vice President elect Kamala Harris. Got to make the world go round please welcome the Vice President elect of the United States of america, Kamala Harris. cheers and applause . From the beautiful queen that you can be becoming horns honking good evening good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. So thank you. Good evening. So. Congressman john lewis, congressman john lewis, before his passing wrote democracy is te. A state. It is an act. And what he meant was that americas democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. cheering applause to guard it, and never take ke t for granted. And protecting our democracy takes struggle. It takest, and there is progress because we, the people, have the power to build a better future. cheering applause and when our very deasms on the ballot in this election with the very soul of america at stake, and the world watching, you ushered in a new day for america. cheers and applause horns honking to our Campaign Staff and volunteers, this extraordinary team, thank you for bringing more people than ever before into the democratic process. cheers and applause . horns honking and for making this victory possible. To the poll workers and Election Officials across our country, who have worked tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted, our nation owes you a debt of gratitude. cheers and applause . You have protected the integrity of our democracy. And to the American People who make up our beautiful country, inank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard
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