[Comprehensive] Biden Becomes 46th US President After Third Attempt... Trump Officially Refuses, Saying "It's Not Over"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, won the November 3 election to become the 46th President of the United States. However, as expected, President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to contest the results, making disruptions to the transition of power inevitable. After three attempts, Biden became the oldest president-elect in history and is set to deliver a national address on the night of the 7th (local time).

Biden Secures Magic Number 270 on the 5th Day of Vote Counting

On the 5th day of vote counting, November 7, Biden secured the majority of the Electoral College votes (270) needed to win the presidential election. Adding the 20 electoral votes from the battleground state of Pennsylvania, where counting resumed that day, to the 253 votes he had already secured, he reached the magic number required for victory regardless of the results in other battleground states still being counted.

In particular, in Pennsylvania, which sealed his victory, Biden overtook President Trump with 95% of the votes counted. Biden is also leading in the remaining battleground states of Nevada (4 votes), Georgia (16 votes), and Arizona (11 votes), leading to projections that he will ultimately surpass 300 electoral votes.

Local media reported, "The turbulent four years under Trump have ended (The New York Times (NYT))," "Voters rejected a divisive and bullying president (The Washington Post (WP))," and "Biden secured more than 270 electoral votes by winning his birth state (CNN)."

Immediately after the media declared his victory, Biden issued a statement saying, "I am honored that America has chosen me," and "This proves that democracy beats in the hearts of Americans." He earnestly appealed for unity and integration, saying, "Now is the time to leave anger and harsh rhetoric behind and come together as a nation."

Trump Declares Contesting Results as Expected... Breaking 120-Year Tradition of Concession

While Biden called for unity and integration after winning the November 3 election, President Trump issued a message contesting the results as expected on the same day. This raises concerns about severe post-election turmoil. If President Trump does not relent in his refusal to concede, recounts in some battleground states and legal battles will have to be navigated.

President Trump stated, "Biden is rushing to pose as the false winner," and announced plans to file a lawsuit in court on the 9th. This is the first time since the 1896 election that a defeated candidate has broken the tradition of conceding. Trump has claimed the election was rigged without presenting clear evidence. According to the White House press pool, President Trump was playing golf near Washington DC that morning and rushed back to the White House upon hearing the news of Biden's confirmed victory.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Consequently, concerns are mounting that another period of chaos may unfold during the post-election phase. The 2000 election, recorded as one of the most fiercely contested, saw Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Al Gore separated by only a few hundred votes in Florida, and it took five weeks for the winner to be confirmed through a Supreme Court ruling and concession. If President Trump pursues persistent litigation, it will inevitably take even longer.

Major foreign media have also pointed out these concerns, reporting that "the transfer of presidential power from Trump to Biden could be more difficult." The interregnum period?the power vacuum from election day to the inauguration of the next president?could become an unpredictable time when anything might happen in the U.S. The situation could escalate beyond recounts and lawsuits to physical clashes among supporters.

Biden Expected to End the Trump Era... Reviewing Key Campaign Promises

Going forward, Biden is expected to initiate a major policy shift rejecting Trump's America First approach and work to end the 'Trump era.' Externally, he is likely to accelerate restoring alliances damaged by Trump's unilateral diplomacy over the past four years. By rejoining multilateral agreements such as the Paris Climate Accord, which Trump withdrew from one after another, Biden is expected to rebuild global multilateral cooperation frameworks and demonstrate U.S. leadership worldwide.

Major foreign media expect that unlike the discord-ridden Trump era, the Biden era will see restored alliances and eased international frictions. Along with re-pursuing multilateral trade agreements, international cooperation to combat COVID-19 is also expected to be strengthened.

The Washington Post (WP) reported, "The first thing Biden will do as president is call world leaders and say, 'America is back. Trust us.'" Biden, who served long as a foreign affairs committee member in the U.S. Senate, is regarded as a "diplomat to the bone" and a "multilateralist."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Changes are also expected in the volatile Middle East situation. With Trump, who pursued overtly pro-Israel and anti-Iran policies, stepping down, a green light is anticipated for restoring relations with Iran. Regarding North Korea's denuclearization, unlike Trump who preferred a 'top-down' approach, Biden is expected to adopt a bottom-up method starting with working-level negotiations, potentially changing North Korea-U.S. relations and denuclearization talks. Experts expect Biden to take a different approach from Trump on Korea-U.S. issues as well.

However, selective pressure on China is expected to continue. Biden has expressed negative views on the tariff bombs against China pushed by Trump but has also emphasized the need to correct unfair trade practices with China. This is why many expect the trade war to continue even after the administration changes.

In economic policy, Bidenomics is expected to be promoted, focusing on tax increases, green infrastructure investment, and raising the minimum wage. Biden previously pledged to raise corporate taxes, increase the top individual income tax rate, impose a financial transaction tax, and introduce the Glass-Steagall Act.

This is a distinctly different path from 'Trumponomics,' which focused on growth through tax cuts and deregulation over the past four years. The funds secured through increased corporate and individual income taxes will be invested in building green infrastructure to create jobs, while the minimum wage will be doubled to restore the middle class?this is the essence of Bidenomics. Regulations on IT giants and finance are also expected to be strengthened.

On the other hand, the clearest beneficiaries of Bidenomics will be the clean energy sector. Biden, who pledged to pursue 100% clean energy with carbon neutrality, has put electric vehicles, infrastructure, and renewable energy industries at the forefront.

Biden, Senator for 36 Years, Vice President for 8 Years, Now President... First Incumbent President to Lose Re-election in 28 Years

Biden's presidential bid was his third attempt, following runs in 1988 and 2008. Starting with his election as a U.S. Senator from Delaware in 1972, he was re-elected six times consecutively and served as Vice President for eight years under the Barack Obama administration, boasting a distinguished political career. Based on his extensive experience and public recognition, he finally became the occupant of the White House after three attempts.

Although he has been active in Washington's mainstream, he is regarded as a politician representing the lives of ordinary people and non-mainstream groups. He gained public sympathy through painful family stories and built a political base with support from people of color. His political career is evaluated as centrist pragmatism. He has taken a pragmatic approach, crossing party lines to work with like-minded Republicans. He is also known for acting based on practicality rather than ideology. For example, he opposed the Gulf War in the 1990s but supported President George W. Bush's Iraq invasion in 2003.

Meanwhile, President Trump, who aimed for re-election by building an image as an 'economic president,' ended up as the first incumbent president to lose re-election in 28 years. The last incumbent president to lose a re-election bid was George H. W. Bush in 1992, 28 years ago. Since George Washington became the first president in 1789, among the 45 presidents who have occupied the White House over 231 years, only 10 have failed to win re-election.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The remaining schedule includes the Electoral College vote on December 14, the federal Congress's certification of the Electoral College results on January 6 next year, and the inauguration on January 20.

As the president-elect officially begins his activities, Biden faces the task of uniting a deeply divided American society. The election and even the counting process revealed extreme divisions in American society, making policies that embrace not only supporters but also opponents necessary. If American society fails to overcome this division, conflicts could continue throughout the next president's term.

Besides unity, he must also tackle disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic, considered the worst crisis since World War II. Swiftly passing the stimulus package delayed by the election is also important. According to CNN, Biden will launch a COVID-19 task force on the 10th, confirming his intention to prioritize COVID-19 in future governance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.