Biden appeals for nat'l unity

Democratic nominee keeps lead in 4 key states

WILMINGTON, Delaware (AFP/Bloomberg) – Joe Biden, inching closer to victory after a bitter presidential election, appealed Friday to Americans to turn the page on divisions as a seething President Donald Trump warned him not to declare victory.

As trickling returns from Pennsylvania and three other states made Trump's path to a second term increasingly unlikely, Biden repeated that he believed he would win but said he would wait for the process to complete.

Instead, Biden delivered a late-night address with the tone of a president-elect and vowed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic as new cases Friday hit a new high of more than 127,000 cases.

“We must put the anger – and the demonization – behind us. It's time for us to come together as a nation and heal,” Biden said in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware accompanied by his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris.

“My responsibility as president will be to represent the whole nation,” he said, drawing a stark contrast with Trump's nearly four years of rule by provocation.

Biden spoke as US media began reporting that White House chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, 61, had contracted the virus – underscoring the criticism directed at the president for months over his administration's handling of the crisis.

Meadows first tested positive on Wednesday, a day after the election, according to The New York Times.