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 no that we will applaud you every step of the way. eearlier president trump returned to the white house after playing golf. he's claimed again, without evidence, that he won the election — his supporters say they haven't given up. if there is a tremendous amount of right based on what we have heard from reputable sources. there was no republican oversight and there was no way possible some of those numbers went up into the timeframe they did. --in went up into the timeframe they did. ——in the timeframe. hello and welcome to the programme. we start in the us. "i pledge to be a president who doesn't see red states and blue states, only the united states" — the unifying words ofjoe biden after taking to the stage in his first speech as america's new president—elect.

addressing a huge crowd near his home in delaware, he declared a victory for the american people and pledged to restore the country's soul. donald trump, the first us president for nearly 30 years not to win a second term, has yet to concede, but in a statement from the white house in the last hour, an official said that the president will "accept the results of a free and fair election." here's some of what joe biden had to say. folks, our bike begins with getting covid under control. we cannot repay the economy, rest of vitality, relish life? most precious moments, hugging our children, grandchildren, weddings, graduations, until we get it under control stop on monday, i will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisors, to help ta ke

as transition advisors, to help take the biden—harris plan and converted into an action blueprint that will start on january 20, 2021. cheering blueprint that will start on january 20,2021. cheering and applause. that plan will be billed on a drug size, instructed out of compassion, empathy and concern. i will spare no effort, none, or any commitment to turn around this pandemic. i will govern as an american president. i will bike as hard for those who did not vote for me as those who did. —— work as hard. me as those who did. —— work as ha rd. let me as those who did. —— work as hard. let this green air of demonisation in america began to and here and now. cheering and applause. car horns stop

refusal of democrats and republicans to co—operate with one another is not some mysterious force beyond our control, it is a decision, a choice we make and if we can decide not to co—operate, then we can decide to co—operate and i believe that this is part of the mandate given to us from the mandate given to us from the american people. they want us the american people. they want us to co—operate in their interests and that is the choice i will make an i will call on congress, democrats and republicans alike, to make that choice with me. the american story is about slow yet steadily widening opportunities in america and, make no mistake, too many dreams have been deferred for too long. we must make the promise of the country real for everybody, no matter their race, ethnicity, faith, identity or disability.

folks, america has i was been shaped by inflection points, by moments in time where we have made had decisions about who we are and where we want to be. lincoln in 1860, coming to save the union. fdr in 1932, promising a beleaguered country a new deal. jfk in 1960, pledging a new frontier and, 12 yea rs pledging a new frontier and, 12 years ago, when barack 0bama made history, he told us, yes, we can. cheering and applause. car horns. folks, we stand at an inflection point. we have an opportunity to defeat despair, to build a nation of prosperity and purpose. we can do it, i know we can. i have long talked about the battle for the soul of america. we must restore the

soul of america. our nation is shaped by the constant battle better angels between our better angels between our better angels between our better angels and our darkest feelings. it is time for the better angels to prevail. tonight, the whole world is watching america and i believe that at our best, america is a beacon for good. we will not only lead by example the power but by the power of our example. i want to talk about the style of the speech. max, you have watched a lot ofjoe biden speeches over the years. this was full of energy and rhetoric. a lot of energy,

lewis, they have tried to make him seem energetic, the way he i’u ns over him seem energetic, the way he runs over the stage, speaking perhaps more loudly, more stronger than usual. full of energy, clearly, that is the message they want to get out, that this is going to be an energetic, young administration with senator harris and this is a different rhetoric than the one we have been hearing. i'm thinking back to president trump speaking about american carnage and the waste of the heartland so this is a much different speech and with the fireworks and coldplay and other songs coming on so a lot of energy. bruce springsteen was also there. lots of talk of unity, unifying the country and you have covered the us over the last four years of the donald trump presidency, that seems like a tall order. this isa seems like a tall order. this is a lot different again from

what we heard from president trump who would say things like before coming across the border, that they are not you. he was very much for his supporters are much different sort of speech this time around. and it is kind of a glimpse into what, according to him and his campaign, we're going to be expecting. he knows that people, as trump pointed out today, did not vote for him and sure enough biden got more votes tha n and sure enough biden got more votes than any president ever but the person who got the second most votes is president trump so 71 million people not happy about this and biden did what he could in his speech to address those people. even said, i lost a couple of times and know what it is like but i will be your president. one of the things it it done was coronavirus, covid—19, and

clearly, like all world leaders, he is determined to get on top of it but the fact is, he becomes president in january next year, they will still be a pandemic and there is still a lot of tough decisions ahead for him and he will not have some magic solution. this is not an easy time to become president. first of all, what we saw tonight, this is not the usual a cce pta nce this is not the usual acceptance speech environment and in the coming weeks and months, the inauguration will be different. who knows how they will be doing the inaugural balls. he enters at a difficult time and he will face a lot of challenges, including coronavirus. we have not seen it much on the news today but yesterday was the wrecker day, two days ago had been the wrecker before that and so on. he is coming in at a very

difficult time and that is why the messaging we are hearing a lot from him in this campaign is we have a lot of work to do. let's celebrate then get to work and frankly, i'm hearing the same thing from republican strategist, saying they are ready to put the selection behind them. the only people who are not saying that our people on the trump campaign's payroll and he did, i did speak with a trump campaign senior advisor to date who said, he echoed what the president tweeted, that they still believe donald trump won and it will come down to legal votes. the president, he has been in 35 hundred lawsuits so he will litigate his way through this or try to. these cases are not going to have any merit according tojerry

going to have any merit according to jerry — going to have any merit according tojerry — — two experts. given that republican voices you were mentioning, let's ta ke voices you were mentioning, let's take it that you are right in what you say and the legal challenges do not come to anything and we move on as expected. reaching out to republicans who were not fully signed up to the trump project, joe biden has a history of working pretty well republicans. would you say, looking ahead to next year, joe biden could have a chance, certainly across congress, of making some real progress or is it still too early for that? certainly going to try and if you look at his history, that doesn't seem to show that he will be reaching across the aisle. i think he might be doing it so much that the progressives on the far left of the democratic party actually

will not like it and maybe they will not like it and maybe they will want to see more of the people in cabinet or big positions president elect biden will still have to likely deal with the senate majority of republicans, although that could change comejanuary. there is still a run—off race to determine that but if he's dealing with a republican senate then he will have to reach across the aisle otherwise he will not get anything done. a fascinating point to and on the day. a speech on unity and unifying nation, he has to make sure his party is unified as well. thank you. vice president elect kamala harris also spoke to the crowds. to the woman most responsible to my present here today, my mother, sharmila harris, who is a lwa ys mother, sharmila harris, who is always in our hearts. when she came here from india at the age

of 19 she may be did not quite imagine this moment but she believed so deeply in america, where a moment like this is possible and so i am thinking about her and about the generations of women, black women. . . generations of women, black women... cheering and applause. asian, white, latino, native american women who, throughout our nation's history have paved the way for this moment tonight. women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all. including the black women who were often, too often, overlooked but so often proved they are the backbone of our democracy. cheering and applause. car horns stop all

the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century, 100 yea rs vote for over a century, 100 years ago the 19th amendment, 55 years ago with the voting rights act and now in 2020 with a new generation of women in our country who cast them pallets a nd our country who cast them pallets and continue to fight for theirfundamental pallets and continue to fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard. cheering and applause stop car horns. tonight, i reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been and i stand on their shoulders and what a testament it is to go's character that he had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that

exist in our country and select a woman as his vice president. cheering and applause. car horns. -- cheering and applause. car horns. —— joe biden's character. while i may be the first woman in this office, i will not be the last. cheering and applause. car horns. because, every little girl watching tonight sees that this isa watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and, to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear gender, our country has sent you a clear message, gender, our country has sent you a clear message, dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way others may not, simply because they have never seen it before

but no that we will applaud you every step of the way. . know.. joining me now from new york is suzanjohnson cook, she's a former us presidential advisor and as served as the united states ambassador—at—large for international religious freedom. thank you so much for coming on the programme. what are your thoughts as you listen back to that speech? i'm dreaming with ambition and i am leading with conviction and we are applauding kamala harris to get all the way, they are now our president—elect and vice president elect, and how proud we are. when i was on president clinton's race initiative over 20 years ago and we were praying for a moment like this, and black women have been praying for a moment like this but now our dreams have been realised and we are so excited, jubilant actually. you mentioned there, we heard it and you quoted it again, one of

the lines that will live on, talking to children seeing dream with ambition, lead with conviction, she had some of the best lines on a night full of rhetoric and energy from both speakers, messages about the importance of this time in american history and bringing the country together, that was the country together, that was the overall theme of both the speeches, it's a tall order though, isn't it? it's a tall order but we cannot be the divided states of america, and we talked about how divided our country was, and we talked about ridding ourselves of the demonisation of america, and i believe this is the team that spoke with their heart. yes it was a speech written, but it came from the heart, and i have no the passion and compassion of each of them, and i am so excited that they now lead our country, and are prepared to lead our country, are used to work with senator biden on the amtrak when he would come home

daily to take care of his children when i was working in the clinton administration, so what we will see is people working on both sides of the aisle because they know him, they know his heart and i think we will get some things done. 0n those things done, let's talk about kamala harris. you know what he represents, energy spoke to were there, hugely historic, important step for the united states — she represents, what she spoke to there. what difference will she make over the next four years? a woman sees life differently toa man a woman sees life differently to a man so she would bring visions through the eyes of a woman, and she will make sure that there is inclusivity, diversity, that is what america is always talking about, we will see that inaction energy will see that inaction energy will bring family, both of them are in love with their spouses,

and their children, and their nieces, and the rest of their family, i think we will see a humanisation, a humanity that comes humanisation, a humanity that comes forth, that has not only about our families but also about our families but also about your family, and about our families but also about yourfamily, and i think that's what everyone is hopeful about, excited about, because we see ourselves in kamala harris, we see a sister who was unashamedly and unapologetically black, but who is also open to every race, she is also open to every race, she is intermarried, she has children, a daughter of immigrants, so she brings the whole package, humanity, femininity, elegance, strength, and power, because she has evidence—based leadership, and so we are looking for this team now to be the wards that we hope for that will lead america, not in division, but united together. what about the issue of race? we saw the explosion of the black lives matter movement throughout this

year, this appointment as i mentioned before is hugely significant in terms of symbolism, but what about real change? what actually needs to be done? what was saw with black lives matter is what black americans have seen all of our lives, what has happened to us in terms of systemic racism, the rest of the world got to see, the biden is not ashamed to take that on, he will deal with institutional racism and sexism, and what we will see is some real systemic change, because unless you have someone who really deals with it, puts it on the table, then we will continue to ignore it, they are not afraid of putting it on the table and so we will see some changes, it on the table and so we will see some changes, it will start with his administration, but what we will see and who we will see in the white house and the vice president's offers, and then systemically throughout the departments and agencies of the united states, government, so it is my honour and pleasure to really work

with them. just lastly because i have to let you go, but briefly, 71 million or so voters voted for donald trump. what is your message to them right now? in an election there will be some who get the most loads and there will be others who do not. my message to all of those who voted for donald trump is now we will walk together, work together, the hand has been reached out, the branch is reached out to you andi branch is reached out to you and i hope you will take it and walk with us. when we work together, we went together in the united states of america. we are one and we would love to work with you, so come on over and let's be american, not blue or red, but americans. we have certainly liked having you want, thank you so much for your time want, thank you so much for yourtime in want, thank you so much for your time in talking to us. — having you on. this is live in washington, there have been lots of people

outside the barricades outside the white house said this afternoon, since the announcement first came that joe biden won the election. there are not a great deal of social distancing, there are masks in there but there have been some questions raised about the wisdom of a large crowd outside, but the celebrations are still going on there outside the white house as donald trump of course is still inside. yalda hakim caught up with some very excited biden fans in wilmington earlier. we are very excited. very excited thatjoe we are very excited. very excited that joe biden we are very excited. very excited thatjoe biden is in a donald trump is leaving. my heartjumped donald trump is leaving. my heart jumped when they called him as president—elect, number 46! joe biden! i'm so excited, and kamala harris is like ice cream on and kamala harris is like ice cream on the cake! lots of

jubilation and joy here, but you actually know joe jubilation and joy here, but you actually knowjoejill biden? jill biden was my daughter's 10th grade english teacher before she became doctor jill teacher before she became doctorjill biden, teacher before she became doctor jill biden, so teacher before she became doctorjill biden, so we are excited about her educational programme for all of us. we will be a smarter country to. tell me, this has been a very difficult, divisive period, and throw in the pandemic. what has life been like over the past year? it has not been good, so many people who have missed so many people who have missed so many things, people who had passed away and it did not have to be if donald trump had taken ca re of to be if donald trump had taken care of this in the beginning. i don't blame him for the pandemic, i blame him for the way he handled it. we have had friends and family who had covid, friends and family who have lost people, we know people today who are sick with

covid personally. we know nurses and other medical professionals who have been sick trying to help people, and so, we really believe that joe, president biden, is going to help us to bring down the curve . help us to bring down the curve. i have found actually a lot of people here have been referring to him asjoe. do you feel like you know him? that's what why we call him joe, because he is one of us. you can see him in the home depo, around town, and one thing about wilmington, the governor is there every day, these local politicians are just like us. we call him joe, you knowjoe, barack's helpmeet for eight years before donald trump, so if you love barack 0bama, how can you not love joe biden? somejoe biden

can you not love joe biden? some joe biden friends can you not love joe biden? somejoe biden friends there. the bbc‘s gary 0'donoghue is outside the white house and has been talking to me aboutjoe biden's plans for a covid—19 task force. we are expecting joe biden to rejoin the paris climate change accord. he will possibly undo those executive orders surrounding things like the muslim travel ban, so these will said very very strong m essa g es to will said very very strong messages to america's traditional allies, he will, i'm sure, adopt a more conciliatory tone talks, the belligerents that has characterised trade talks not just retainer but with the eu as well, don't forget, has really scarred the relationship. we have body said today the secretary general of nato welcoming joe biden's victory in the election. nato and the relationship with nato countries, huge damage and

distrust has been sown in that relationship over the past four yea rs, relationship over the past four years, so there are a whole bunch of different axes that people in america's allies, among america's allies will be breathing a sigh of relief, because they really did not know how to deal with the united states, the united states as a reality was still the most powerful country and it had a leader who seems not to value its allies. let's get a bit more on this. he was former assistant secretary and director for russia at the national security council. great for you to cover the programme, thank you so much joining the programme, thank you so muchjoining us. the programme, thank you so much joining us. we have a lot to get through, our viewers around the world will be very interested in what you think thisjoe biden interested in what you think this joe biden presidency interested in what you think thisjoe biden presidency over the next four years will be not only for different countries

around the world but more generally the us's relationship and standing internationally. let's start with one of the points that gary mentioned, china, what you think it means the relationship now with china? with the relationship now with china ? with regards the relationship now with china? with regards to a number of america's competitors, you will see joe of america's competitors, you will seejoe biden of america's competitors, you will see joe biden handle of america's competitors, you will seejoe biden handle this competition from a position of strength, and he will work with our allies and partners, and that's what has been missing from the approach of these last four years, it donald trump's approach to china, a very narrow preoccupation with the trade deficit. we are not looking at the systemic abuses that china uses to advantage itself in terms of trade and investment, giving subsidies to state—owned enterprises, not giving equal market access to foreign companies, and so on, theft of the intellectual property. what a biden administration will do with regards to these sorts of issuesis regards to these sorts of

issues is work together with our partners across the world to really put up a united front end to end this systemic manipulation of trade and investment. let's go for a slightly wider look now, those traditional alliances, the way the us will work with big international organisations and its allies, how does this change now contrast with donald trump from joe biden?” change now contrast with donald trump from joe biden? i think what you will see from a biden administration is much greater emphasis on democratic norms and values, really standing up for those institutions in countries where they are under threat, working together much more closely with our democratic friends and allies on things like fighting climate change, on infectious diseases, ona change, on infectious diseases, on a whole bunch of global threats and challenges, and i think strengthening nato will be crucial. we have had a president for these past four yea rs president for these past four years who has questioned whether america would come to the defence of its nato allies,

who has really badly damage the solidarity within the alliance, solidarity within the alliance, so you will see i thinkjoe biden as president emphasising how we can work together with our allies and partners instead of maligning them and working against them. more unity essentially, echoing the message of his speech a couple of hours ago. i will get you specifically on your error — area of expertise, russia. how does that develop over the next four years? once again you will see most likely an administration that approaches russia from a position of strength. that means increasing and strengthening the defence of the nato alliance, it means that when russia does undertake hostile actions in regards to the us, or undercuts the sovereignty of other countries, the biden administration will work with our allies and partners to impose costs on

russia for those actions, but also president—elect biden has emphasised the importance of maintaining dialogue with russia on issues like arms control, crisis management, risk reduction, and similar topics i think what you will see is an emphasis on strategic stability, but from a position of strength and working once again together with our allies and partners. last pop quiz question, i would love to get your thoughts on the rhine. again, president—elect biden has emphasised that he would like for the us to rejoin the comprehensive plan of action on iran's nuclear programme, if iran's nuclear programme, if iran comes back into compliance with the terms of that agreement, and i think what we have seen again over the last few years is the us has adopted a unilateralist approach, so now, the us is isolated on the world stage rather than around

being isolated, as it was