No plans for Trump to invite Biden to White House, source says
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University on October 22, in Nashville, Tennessee. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
There are no plans for President Trump to invite president-elect Joe Biden to the White House in the coming days, according to a source familiar with the matter. Traditionally, there is an Oval Office meeting between incoming and outgoing presidents.
Trump has often referenced his Nov. 10, 2016, meeting with Obama, including what he was told about North Korea.
Trump, as made clear in his statement, is still contesting the election, so those traditional steps of a transition won't happen anytime soon.
Less clear is whether the other, more granular aspects of the transition will occur, particularly at agencies and among staff. One person familiar with the matter said there haven't been explicit instructions disseminated from the White House on how to proceed.
12:13 p.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Van Jones: "It's easier to be a parent this morning"
On-air Analysis from CNN's Van Jones / Written by CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
CNN
"It's easier to be a parent this morning," CNN's Van Jones said in an emotional reaction to Joe Biden winning the 2020 presidential race.
"It's easier to tell your kids character matters, it matters. Tell them the truth matters. Being a good person matters," Jones said.
"I just want my sons to look at this ... It's easy to do it the cheap way and get away with stuff, but it comes back around. It comes back around. And it's a good thing for this country. I'm sorry for the people who lost, for them it's not a good day. But for a whole lot of people it's a good day," he said.
Jones noted that, for many people in the country, especially minorities, life will be made easier.
"If you're Muslim in this country, you don't have to worry if the President doesn't want you here. If you're an immigrant, you don't have to worry if the President is going to be happier to have babies snatched away or send DREAMers sent back for no reason," he said.
Jones also highlighted how Biden winning the election is a "vindication" for a lot of people who have really suffered throughout President Trump's term.
"The 'I can't breathe,' that wasn't just George Floyd. That's a lot of people have felt they couldn't breathe. Every day you're waking up and getting tweets and you're going to the store and people who have been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier to you and you're worried about your kids and you're worried about your sister, and can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without somebody saying something to her. "
12:07 p.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Van Jones: Biden's win gives both Democrats and GOP a chance to "reset"
On-air analysis from CNN's Van Jones and Rick Santorum / Written by CNN's Adrienne Vogt
CNN
After CNN projected Joe Biden’s presidential win, Van Jones, a former adviser in the Obama administration, and former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum both agreed that working-class voters still feel forgotten by both parties — and that is a hill that politicians will need to climb.
“From the Republican point of view, we're not convinced it's over yet and we're going to wait and see how the rest of these states play out,” Santorum said.
“I think a lot of folks on our side are feeling the fears … on the economic side, people are afraid that Joe Biden is going to what the Boris Johnson is doing, and Angela Merkel is doing in Europe and shutting down the economy,” he said. “A lot of blue-collar Americans felt that neither political party really cared about them,” Santorum added.
Santorum said Republicans are worried about globalism, religious liberty and free speech, among other issues.
“As much as people are concerned, I understand you're feeling relieved, there's a lot of people now on our side who are feeling concerned,” he said.
Jones said people should take Santorum’s remarks “very seriously.”
“Those working-class folks who felt that neither party cared about them weren't wrong. People were sacrificed for an agenda that didn't help a lot of people. And I know poor folks in Appalachia and poor folks in South Central [Los Angeles], they've got the same problems,” Jones said.
“And cultural wars notwithstanding, there's a moment here. Do your lawsuits, that's your right. But there is a moment here where we can reset, and I think Joe Biden wants us to reset. And I will do everything I can. We've got a lot of fear and a lot of pain — we got a lot of promise, too. … If we could sit down at the same table, we could get something done together,” Jones added.
Rick Santorum and CNN's Van Jones discuss what Joe Biden's win means for the country:
12:01 p.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Harris: "We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let's get started."
Kamala Harris, who will be the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president, and first woman to hold that office, reacted on Twitter to their projected win.
"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," Harris tweeted alongside a video.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get started," she added.
See her tweet:
11:59 a.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Biden: "It's time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation"
Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware on November 4. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden has issued a statement, saying he is “honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed” in him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
“With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation," the statement added.
Here's the full statement:
11:59 a.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Hillary Clinton calls Biden's election "a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America"
From CNN's Allison Gordon
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Joe Biden for his presidential victory on Twitter today.
"The voters have spoken, and they have chosen @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris to be our next president and vice president," Clinton tweeted. "It's a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Onward, together."
Read the tweet:
11:57 a.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Trump campaign says race "far from over" and promises litigation starting Monday
From CNN's Betsy Klein
President Donald Trump leaves after speaking in the briefing room at the White House on November 5, in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Moments after networks, including CNN, called the presidential race for Joe Biden, President Trump said in a statement from his campaign that Biden is “rushing to falsely pose as the winner,” and call the race “far from over.”
The statement says the campaign’s legal battle will begin Monday:
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.”
"I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands," Trump says in the statement.
Trump is currently at his Virginia golf course.
11:52 a.m. ET, November 7, 2020
This is the moment CNN called the presidential race for Joe Biden
CNN
After days of waiting, CNN's Wolf Blitzer called the presidential race for Joe Biden at 11:24 a.m. ET.
"After four long tense days, we've reached a historic moment in this election. We can now project the winner of the presidential race. CNN projects Joseph R. Biden Jr. is elected the 46th president of the United States, winning the White House and denying President Trump a second term," Blitzer said. "We're able to make this projection because CNN projects Biden wins Pennsylvania."
Blitzer added: "The former vice president, in his third run for the highest office, pulling off a rare defeat of the sitting commander in chief. With this victory, Kamala Harris is set to become the first woman and the first person of color to be the vice president. Again, CNN projects Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. Jake, he is now president elect Joe Biden."
Watch the moment Blitzer announced CNN's projection:
11:49 a.m. ET, November 7, 2020
Jake Tapper: "The son of Scranton and the daughter of immigrants are headed to the White House"
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
As Kamala Harris made history as the first woman of color to be Vice President, CNN's Dana Bash commented on Black women finally seeing representation:
"The Democratic Party has been alive on the backs of — and through the hard work of — Black women for many, many years, and now, they finally see representation. And that is a huge thing," she said. "100 years ago, this year, women got the right to vote. 55 years ago this year, Black Americans were told that it could be easier for them to vote with the Voting Rights Act. That was after so much bloodshed, so much protests, and now, after all of that time, a Black woman has made history. "
CNN's Abby Phillip commented on what this moment represents to millions in this country:
"Her path to this moment, I think, is fairly unconventional. She was one of the first major candidates to drop out of the Democratic field, but was someone who, I think, in the Party believed always had so much promise," she said. "One of the roles that she will play for Joe Biden is helping him bridge that gap between the Joe Biden who has been in Washington for decades and decades, the old guard, the 70 something-year-old White man, with the younger part of the party that is clambering to be heard. They feel like their futures are on the line, especially after the last four years. And I think a lot of them are looking to Kamala Harris to give voice to that."
CNN's Jake Tapper added:
"The son of Scranton and the daughter of immigrants are headed to the white house. It is a sign of what can happen in this country. You can become anything you want to be."
