Updated: February 25, 2021
U.S. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. disclosed on Tuesday that he had spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, just hours after the latter congratulated him on his presidential election victory over Donald J. Trump.
Speaking with reporters at New Castle Airport, Delaware, Biden said he had a “good conversation with Mitch McConnell today” and said he called him to thank him for his floor remarks. He promised to provide a list of other lawmakers he had spoken to.
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On taking the vaccine as recommended by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden said he would do it “by the numbers” and that he would get it done “publicly.”
The President -elect Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 on Tuesday and COVID-19 was not detected, his office said.
Biden spoke to reporters while on his way to Atlanta, Georgia, to campaign for the two Democratic senatorial candidates there.
McConnell congratulated Biden on Tuesday and called him for the first time President-elect, adding that the Electoral College “has spoken.”
“Many of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result,” McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor, a day after electors met on Monday and affirmed Biden’s election victory.
“But our system of government has the processes to determine who will be sworn in on January 20. The Electoral College has spoken,” McConnell added, ending weeks of silence over the defeat of Donald Trump.
McConnell also praised Trump’s four years in office, saying the outgoing president and vice president Mike Pence “deserve our thanks.”
For weeks, the Republican leadership had refused to congratulate Biden who defeated Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College vote. Biden also received 7 million votes more than Trump who has refused to concede defeat.
Trump and his Republican colleagues had continued to spread baseless fraud claims, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court twice and losing.
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