Biden passed 270 votes with California casting its 55 votes for him at just after 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Monday 14 December. This put the Democrat challenger firmly over the 270 margin needed to win the election.
Americans had a big Monday, with the first vaccines being delivered to 145 sites around the country and the confirmation of President-elect Joseph Biden’s election victory by the US Electoral College.
Despite expectations of mass protests by supporters of President Donald Trump at statehouses, the vote passed peacefully with police outnumbering protestors in those states where they did make a showing.
Voting started at 10am and went off without a hitch. Trump’s fight to overturn results in the states of Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin were all for naught, as they all cast their electoral votes for Biden.
The next step of the process is sending the votes to Congress to be counted next month. After the vote, Senate Republican leaders acknowledged Biden as President-elect, with Senate Majority Whip John Thune saying; “Once the Electoral College settles the issue today, it’s time for everyone to move on.
Trump for most of the day seemed to be ignoring the voting, taking to Twitter in the morning to erroneously congratulate the US and the world on “First Vaccine Administered…”
The tweet was met with a barrage of responses referring the president to the fact that the UK and other countries had already started administering Covid-19 vaccines.
Minutes after the Electoral College result confirming a Biden victory, Trump tweeted that Attorney General William Barr was resigning: “Bill will be leaving just before the Christmas to spend the holidays with his family.
I know the task before us won’t be easy… today our nation passed a grim milestone, 300 000 deaths due to this Covid virus. My heart goes out to each of you in this dark winter of the pandemic… My heart goes out to all of you who have fallen on hard times through no fault of your own… I know we will get through this one, but together.
President Donald Trump is expected to exit the White House and hand over to President-elect Joe Biden on 20 January 2021.
In other news – Babes Wodumo is officially Mrs Maphumulo
It’s official…self-proclaimed Gqom Queen Babes Wodumo is no longer a betrothed woman and she is just one step closer to fully becoming Mrs Maphumulo by law. Her ‘husband-to-be’ has sent a delegation to the Simelane residence yesterday to pay up her lobola. Learn more
Source: dailymaverick
