WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden urged Americans Thursday to lower the political temperature after Donald Trump's crushing election win over Kamala Harris, saying in a conciliatory address to the nation that he would ensure a peaceful transition of power.
In a solemn speech from the White House, Biden also said the result should "lay to rest" doubts about the integrity of the US election system fueled by Trump's refusal to acknowledge his own 2020 defeat by the Democrat.
"Something I hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans. Bring down the temperature," Biden said.
Staff rose to their feet, cheered and clapped as Biden arrived in the famed Rose Garden. The 81-year-old dropped out of the race against Trump in July and handed the Democratic nomination to Harris, his vice president.
Biden said he had called Republican Trump to congratulate the twice-impeached former president and assure him there would be a "peaceful and orderly" transition.
"On January 20, we'll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America," said Biden, whose inauguration Trump had refused to attend.
The outgoing president also urged supporters not to lose hope after the reelection of Trump, who is likely to dismantle many of Biden's policies as soon as he returns to the White House.
"Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated," he said.
Biden's comments were in stark contrast to billionaire Trump, whose election defeat denial four years ago culminated in the violent 6 January, 2021 assault by Trump's supporters on the US Capitol.
Biden has invited Trump to meet at the White House, for what would be their first encounter since Biden's disastrous debate performance against Trump in June that forced him out of the race.
World leaders have swiftly pledged to work with Trump, despite concerns in much of the globe about his nationalist "America First" approach and pledges to slap huge tariffs on foreign imports.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing and Washington must find a way to "get along" in a message to Trump, calling for "stable" bilateral ties.
- 'Selecting personnel' -
Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, is now working on his transition team after an overwhelming victory that promises a radically transformed political landscape for the United States and the world.
His campaign said in a statement late Wednesday that "in the days and weeks ahead, President Trump will be selecting personnel to serve our nation under his leadership."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading figure in the anti-vaccine movement for whom Trump has pledged a "big role" in healthcare, told NBC News on Wednesday that "I'm not going to take away anybody's vaccines."
But the former independent candidate, who dropped out of the race to back Trump, reiterated that the Trump administration would recommend removing fluoride from the US water supply.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, could also be in line for a job after enthusiastically backing Trump. The incoming president has said he will ask the SpaceX, Tesla and X boss to audit the US government to cut waste.
US voters backed Trump's hard-line right-wing policies and rejected Biden and Harris's record, especially on the economy and inflation, exit polls showed.
Trump's victory makes him the first convicted felon and oldest man to be elected US president, and came after a turbulent campaign in which he escaped two assassination attempts and rode out the transfer from Biden to Harris.
Armed with a sweeping mandate, Trump 2.0 is set to dismantle huge chunks of Biden's legacy.
Trump could start by halting the incumbent's billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia's 2022 invasion, having previously suggested he would pressure Kyiv to make a peace deal.
Trump will also return to the White House as a climate change denier, poised to take apart Biden's green policies with his pledge to "drill, baby, drill" for oil.
Ultimately Biden's legacy was supposed to be a Harris victory that would keep Trump out of power -- but many Democrats feel he waited too long to step aside for his vice president.
By Danny Kemp