Trump acknowledges election defeat as calls for his removal grow louder

US President Donald Trump offered his most explicit acknowledgement of defeat in November’s election on Thursday, pledging to work with Joe Biden’s transition team and calling for national unity, a day after crowds violently laid siege to the Capitol Building in his name.

“We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high,” Trump said in a pre-recorded video message. “But now, tempers must be cooled and calm restored.”

For weeks, Trump has repeatedly and falsely claimed that the presidential election was stolen from him, deepening fractures not only between Democrats and Republicans but also within his own party.

Trump’s campaign to undo his defeat was dealt its final blow in the early hours of Thursday morning, when the US Congress officially ratified the results of the Electoral College vote, following the previous day’s unprecedented and fatal violence within its halls.

With lawmakers having officially certified the election outcome, Trump said on Thursday that his focus “now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power”, without mentioning president-elect Biden by name.

But in a sign that Trump may be considering another run for president in 2024, he closed the message by telling supporters that he and their “incredible journey is only just beginning”.