US election 2020: Biden closes in on presidency with growing lead in Pennsylvania
Video report by ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore
Joe Biden is edging ahead of Donald Trump in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia, as the Democratic challenger closes in on the US presidency.
Donald Trump initially held a comfortable lead in both states, but mail-in ballots and absentee votes in urban hubs - such as Atlanta in Georgia and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania - have swung the race in his rival's favour.
Mr Trump needs to win Pennsylvania if he is to win the presidency.
As it stands,
Biden leads Trump in Georgia by around 4,000 votes
Biden leads Trump in Pennsylvania by around 19,000 votes
Biden leads Trump in Nevada by around 22,500 votes
Biden leads Trump in Arizona by around 37,000 votes
These numbers are subject to nearly hourly changes, however, as votes continued to be counted in each state.
Rebecca Barry reports on the race for Pennsylvania:
A win for Mr Biden in Georgia, along with a win in either Arizona or Nevada, where he is currently ahead, would also end any hopes of Mr Trump reaching the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the election.
Based on CNN projections, Mr Biden currently holds 253 electoral college votes while Mr Trump has 213.
Joe Biden is expected to speak alongside running mate Kamala Harris in Delaware on Friday night, local time.
ITV News understands the speech will be a "celebration" rather than a declaration of victory in the race.
ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy has more on what Biden's speech might hold:
Tweeting ahead of Mr Biden's statement, Mr Trump wrote: "Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!"
The president's words contradict his own claims of victory in the election, made in two separate White House briefings on Wednesday and Thursday.
There have been protests in a number of US states from both sides of the political spectrum as the results of the race remains unclear, three days after Election Day.
Mr Trump has also continued to repeatedly make false claims of "fraud" in the voting and counting process - an allegation with no substantial evidence behind it.
Listen to ITV News US election podcast, Will Trump Win?
A recount is due to take place in Georgia, while the Trump campaign has said it will seek a recount in Wisconsin alongside existing legal challenges in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada.
There has already been one small victory for Mr Trump's legal team, on Thursday a court order gave Republicans permission to observe counting in Pennsylvania from a distance of six feet.
Pennsylvania was a key battleground state which Mr Trump won from the Democrats in 2016, while Georgia has been a Republican stronghold at every presidential election since 1996.
ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore sums up the mood amid the Trump campaign
Military votes in Georgia still need to be added, but with 99% of the vote counted, Biden is now firm favourite to become the 46th president of the US.
Counting is also still ongoing in Arizona and Nevada, two states where Biden is extending his lead.
What happened between Thursday and Friday?
The US election race is now entering its final stretch - with much of the action happening overnight in the UK given the time difference.
On Friday Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would not be commenting on the race while votes were still being counted.
Quizzed on whether he would miss Donald Trump should the President lose, Mr Johnson said: "The Prime Minister of the UK is always going to work very closely with whoever is the US President".
Joe Biden is now ahead in the four battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada and needs just 17 more electoral college votes to win.
Mr Trump is behind on 213 electoral college votes.
Pennsylvania's 20 electoral college votes would be enough to take Mr Biden over the top, as would wins from two of Arizona, Nevada or Georgia.
North Carolina and Alaska, which are still in play, are expected to be called for Trump but neither will take him over the 270 electoral college votes threshold needed to win.
Mr Biden overtook Mr Trump's lead in Pennsylvania, where the president once held a comfortable lead.
The Rust Belt state counted all election in-person ballots first, which heavily favoured the Republicans. Now, mail-in votes are being counted, which heavily favour the Democrats.
At one point, Mr Trump led in Pennsylvania by around 600,000 votes.
A similar pattern has emerged in Georgia, traditionally a Republican stronghold worth 16 electoral college votes.
Why does Donald Trump keep repeating 'fraud' allegations?
Mr Trump has sought to cast doubt on the election result, repeating baseless claims of voter fraud in a number of key battleground states.
"If you count the legal votes I easily won. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us," he told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
The president added: "There's been a lot of shenanigans and we can't stand for that in our country. "
Mr Trump has at no point provided any evidence of election fraud to support his claims.
The president lashed out at postal voting - despite himself voting that way - and questioned why those ballots were "so one-sided" as he told his supporters to vote in person.
He has now launched a campaign fund asking supporters to donate to "defend the integrity of our Election".
What has Joe Biden's response been?
Joe Biden has continued to reiterate his stance: "Every vote must be counted."
The Democrat wrote on Twitter shortly before Mr Trump's White House address on Thursday: "The people will not be silenced, be bullied, or surrender."
Mr Biden earlier urged America to "remain calm" while the count continues.
The Democrat, who has received more than 72 million votes, the most in US history, is moving towards the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Mr Biden said: "Each ballot must be counted and that's what we are going to see going through now."
He added: "Senator Harris and I feel very good about where things stand and when the count is finished Senator Harris and I will be declared the winners."
How have fellow Republicans reacted to President Trump's claims?
Trump's allegations of voter fraud have split the Republican Party down the middle.
Nicki Hayley, former US Ambassador to the UN and Governor of South Carolina, came out in support for the president, tweeting: "We all owe @realDonaldTrump for his leadership of conservative victories for Senate, House, & state legislatures.
"He and the American people deserve transparency & fairness as the votes are counted. The law must be followed. We have to keep the faith that the truth will prevail."
The president's son, Donald Trump Jr, tweeted: "Losing fair and square is one thing but in the face of all of this video evidence, lack of transparency, boarding up of windows, fighting to prevent poll watching etc etc... for GOPers to not stand up now shows your true colors. "Will make the 2024 primary process a lot easier.
But Senator Marco Rubio, who ran against Trump to become the Republican presidential candidate in 2016, believes "a state is violating election laws they have a right to challenge it in court & produce evidence in support of their claims".
Mr Rubio said earlier: "Taking days to count legally cast votes is NOT fraud. And court challenges to votes cast after the legal voting deadline is NOT suppression."
Retired Republican senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, was more direct: "No Republican should be okay with the President’s statements just now. Unacceptable. Period.”"
GOP Senator Mitt Romney posted a statement on Twitter writing the president was "wrong to say that the election was rigged, corrupt and stolen".
Senator Romney said Mr Trump was "within his rights" to contest vote counts "where evidence exists" but said unfounded allegations "recklessly inflames destructive and dangerous passions".
Others in the party have called for patience as tensions threaten to boil over.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Trump ally who won re-election on Tuesday in Kentucky, told reporters that "claiming you’ve won the election is different from finishing the counting".
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