Joe Biden Vows to 'Unify' Country in Victory Speech

Joe Biden has said he wants to restore the soul of the United States, vowing "not to divide but unify" the country, in his first speech as president-elect.

"This is the time to heal in America," he told a crowd in Wilmington, Delaware, reports BBC.

After Tuesday's election, Mr Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump following a cliff-hanger vote count.

Since his loss was confirmed when he was playing golf, Mr Trump has yet to concede and has not spoken publicly.

The outcome is the first one-term president since the 1990s, Mr Trump.

"I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify; who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States," Mr Biden said in his speech on Saturday night.

"I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class and to make America respected around the world again, and to unite us here at home."

He also reached out to those who voted against him in the election, which saw a record turnout.

"It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again," Mr Biden said. "And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies."

The president-elect declared that his coronavirus response committee will be created to ensure that decisions from its inauguration date in January are ready to be enforced.

Since the pandemic started, more than 237,000 Americans have died-more than any other country in the world-and Joe Biden's initiative has concentrated heavily on curbing the spread of the virus.

Harris: 'America is ready'

Mr Biden was introduced by his running mate, Kamala Harris, who has made history as the first female, first black and first Asian-American US vice-president-elect.