leader led by the majority leader mitch mcconnell and others who simply disagree with how we approach making america better. we all love america, republicans and democrats, but the approach and process on how we get there is just really different, and so biden is the best person to try to bring those both sides together. but iam only those both sides together. but i am only hopeful if the gop's response to his outreach, if they are receptive to it. if they are receptive to it. if they are receptive to it. if they are not, for example, then it is going to be a difficult four years and really, we need american statesman, republican statesmen and women to say enough is enough. 0k, we will get that few shortly. thank you so get that few shortly. thank you so much for your time coming on and speaking to us here on bbc news. we can speak now to evan

mcmullen who now runs an anti—trump conservative campaign group focused on democracy and also ran as an independent candidate for president back in 2016. thank you for coming on the programme. great to be with you. first of all, what was your reaction to that speech therefrom joe biden?” your reaction to that speech therefrom joe biden? i thinkl just have to say that it was refreshing stopping both his speech and kamala harris‘ speech, they were offering the country a unifying path forward , country a unifying path forward, hope, competence, fact—based leadership, compassion, all of these things that are necessary for leadership in a democracy which we just haven't had for the last four years now are back andi last four years now are back and i think america is collectively breathing a sigh of relief. it was just a phenomenal day for america and a phenomenal day for american democracy. we have never been a perfect mockery, we still have quite a number of mountains to

climb to improve ourselves, but we have dodged a bullet, a major bullet as a country. staring down a real threat of liberalism, of tyranny on our soil so it is a time to rejoice and celebrate and i am encouraged about our future. and celebrate and i am encouraged about our futurelj am sure many democrats and republicans will be pleased to hear someone of your stature and position say those words. you spoke very eloquently on twitter about this need to unify as republicans and move forward , unify as republicans and move forward, and i noticed one of the quotes, just from someone on twitter replying to you and that message about moving on from the trump years, and this person on twitter says, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, basically saying donald trump is still there and that influence is there and you cannot undo that. who ever said thatis cannot undo that. who ever said that is absolutely right, there

isa that is absolutely right, there is a big challenge facing the republican party now and facing those of us who would like to reform it and correct it. that's right, it is going to be very difficult. i don't know what the future holds for disaffected republicans like me or conservatives who have opposed the president and opposed the president and opposed donald trump. it is unclear. we may be in the political wilderness for some time. some mayjoin the democrats officially. we will see, but the first step over the next few months, next 3— six months, i think, the next few months, next 3— six months, ithink, is the next few months, next 3— six months, i think, is to see if there is an opportunity to have a debate within the republican party about its direction. we will see how this loss settles in on the minds of republicans. we will see how things go and the remaining senate races and what other defeats may be in store for the republican party, if they are, and how that impact the party's view of itself. we will see, i don't know. i am sceptical that

we can change the direction of the republican party any time soon but it is a fight that is worth having for at least the next 3— six months to see if there is an opportunity there. we may be able to pull away another segment of the republican party to our side of this debate and if so, i think there is potential for us this debate and if so, i think there is potentialfor us going forward. if not, then we will have to consider other options. i don't want to get too psychological here but lots of what you have been saying is premised on one fact, those people in the republican party who attached themselves to donald trump for whatever reason are now faced with a psychological dilemma, i suppose. if they reject that path and follow what you are saying, they are essentially having to reject part of their identity for the last four yea rs identity for the last four years and that is very difficult for human beings to do. that is true. for trump supporters who are the most

loyal to him, it would be very difficult for us to ever fully pulled them away. but there's another segment of republicans who have reluctantly supported the president, they voted for him in the selection. 0bviously that's not a decision i've made, it's not a decision that other disaffected republicans that are with me in this fight have made but these are people who can be convinced, potentially, to back a new direction for the republican party stopping not necessarily to support a democrat for president as some of us did but at least back a different approach to leadership for the party and that's the question. are we're going to convince everybody in the party to abandon trump and move on immediately? no. it's about that next segment. that next segment, if we can win it, allows us to continue to fight within the republican party. if we cannot, i think we will go on as part of this broad coalition thatjoe biden has built and will hopefully make

that a successful, unifying administration that delivers real result to the american people and we will go forward like that and see what our options are but i think... yeah? just on that, joe biden's one of his talents is that he has got a history of working across the aisle in american politics. how realistic do you think, over the next four yea rs, think, over the next four years, that that cross—party cooperation could actually be? it is going to be a challenge. i think it will be a challenge but i would note a couple of things. joe biden ran a unifying primary campaign, so evenin unifying primary campaign, so even in this time of such great division in america, during his primary season, his primary campaign, he was calling republicans and independents to join him, tojoin democrats to protect american democracy and move our country forward. it is very ha rd to move our country forward. it is very hard to do that, especially in the political climate, in a primary. he did it anyway. and then he did it

in the general election and kamala harris joined him. because he has led in a unifying way already when it is most difficult, i am hopeful that he will do the same as a serving president. but the other thing that i would say is, republicans gained seat in the house, for example, and they may hold onto a majority in the senate so the american people have delivered a strong victory forjoe biden and kamala harris for the democrats and their cross—party than coalition, but it is not exactly the kind of mandates that some democrat might interpret to mean that the american people are looking for them to move forward with democratic friendly only policies. this is a country, i think, that wants to see unifying leadership and those of us who come from the republican side, disaffected republicans, we are the majority makers. we carry the majority makers. we carry the majority votes and we can help an administration lead in a unifying way and i think we hope to do that. 0k, great to

have you on and great to have your thoughts and analysis. let's just take a quick step back, my colleague ross at hens — make ros atkins has a summary now. this is a system where candidates compete for individual states. if you win a state that you get a certain amount of electoral college votes become president, you need 270 electoral votes. because of the reasonable predict ability of a lot of states in america we always knew thatjoe biden would take california, new york, it was the states that we couldn't predict that really decided which way the selection went and in the hours that followed the polls closing, actually the news was better for president trump. he took florida early on. later he took 0hio trump. he took florida early on. later he took ohio and iowa. he also took texas which the biden campaign had given some attention to, but that is really where the good news stopped for president trump.

then, the biden campaign started getting better news. we know there was a huge focus on the midwest. hillary clinton lost all the key states in the midwest. joe biden wants to —— was to try to win them back, and he took wisconsin, michigan, which meant that he was on 253 electoral college vote. there were various routes, either via the southwest, nevada and arizona or simply through the state where he grew up, pennsylvania. he grew up in scranton and a few hours ago that is what happened. he took pennsylvania, that took over 270 to 273. we are still waiting on some states, north carolina, georgia, arizona, nevada has been projected as well, so he currently stands on 279. it doesn't matter what happens in these other states, he already has enough to be the president—elect. 0ne has enough to be the president—elect. one of the things that will define his presidency is, how much progress he can make with congress. let's look at both houses of congress. the senate

matters more because it is a tighter political contest. the democrats have a6, add two independents they are on a8, so other republicans and there are four outstanding. north carolina and alaska we expect to go in the direction of the republicans are stopping to think we're all focused on is two ru n — offs think we're all focused on is two run—offs for the two senate seats and georgia. they will happen in january. 0f seats and georgia. they will happen injanuary. of the democrats take them, it will be 50-50. democrats take them, it will be 50—50. then the deciding vote goes to the vice president and it was the vice president—elect is kamala harris, a democrat. so that is why there is going to bea so that is why there is going to be a huge amount of attention on georgia in the coming weeks and that is not just because we still don't know who won the state in the presidential election. i will quickly mentioned the house as well. less politically dramatic. the democrats controlled it before election day and they still control it now. the republicans made some gains but that will not have any impact on the fact that the democrat control, on the whole, the lower house. it is the

senate that is unknown at the moment but we know about the house and we know who was going to be president, too. that was roz atkins. i'm lewis vaughan jones, this is bbc news. hello there. autumn can often bring with it contrasting weather conditions. that's exactly what we had on saturday afternoon. for some, lots of blue sky, sunshine and even some warmth. across northwest wales, a high of 19 degrees. eastern scotland, some of the fog lingered for much of the day and as a result, temperatures really struggled, just a daytime maximum of four degrees. now, we could see further dense fog patches once again across eastern scotland and north—east england through the night. it could be a different story, though, further south, turning much milder but cloudier, and you can see that on the satellite picture. an area of low pressure is going to start to push in from the south—west, introducing cloud, showery bits and pieces of rain. but circulating around that low pressure in an anticlockwise direction, the wind, so that means a southerly wind and that's driving in milder

air from the near continent. so, we could start off then with some fog around across the far north—east first thing in the morning. that will lift quite readily away. the rain quite light and patchy into the south—west first thing in the morning. it's going to drift its way steadily northwards throughout remembrance sunday, but eastern england mayjust see the odd spot or two of nuisance rain, really. the rain pushing its way out of northern ireland into scotland, allowing for some brightness in the afternoon, and if that happens, temperatures once again will respond, 15, 16, maybe even 17 degrees for some if you keep that sunshine. now, as we go through the evening hours of sunday, that showering rain will continue to move its way north out of scotland, but it will do so only then to be replaced by another area of low pressure, almost in a repeat performance of what we saw on sunday. so, monday morning, more showering rain into the far south—west, certainly more cloud across the country and it does look as though that cloud for some could be here to stay. so, be some showers, particularly sharp ones down across the south—west. dodge the showers, keep some sunny spells, temperatures on the mild side,

11—16 degrees the high. as we go further ahead into the week, an area of high pressure will block the low pressures coming in off the atlantic, so they're not really going to push right across the country. they could just stay out to the west and you can see that with the week ahead city forecast. there will be some outbreaks of rain at times. further east, it stays drier and brighter.

welcome to bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: us president—electjoe biden addresses supporters for the first time since his election win. mr biden says he aims not to divide but to unify. for all those of you who voted filed president trump, i understand the disappointment tonight. we have to stop treating our opponents as out —— ouranimus. —— treating our opponents as out —— our animus. —— enemies. kamala harris, who will make history by becoming the first female vice president, says voters have sent america's children a clear mesasge, to dream with ambition. see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they have never seen it before

but