Joe Biden has officially been sworn in as president-elect (opens in new tab) and Kamala Harris (opens in new tab) will become vice president (opens in new tab). Former President Barack Obama issued a statement on Twitter congratulating Biden and Harris on the news (opens in new tab).

"Congratulations to my friends @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. President Obama wrote in a statement, "I could not be more proud to congratulate our next President, Joe Biden, and our next First Lady, Jill Biden." He continued, "Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff (opens in new tab), I could not be more proud that Kamala has been elected as our groundbreaking next Vice President."

"In this election, Americans cast their votes in unprecedented numbers under circumstances never before experienced. And when all the votes are counted, President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will have won a historic and decisive victory."

Obama also praised Biden's fortitude: "Because when he enters the White House in January, he will face an extraordinary array of challenges the president-elect has never faced before, including a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy in crisis, and a climate at stake. challenges that the president-elect will face.

Obama also urged everyone to support the new president, whether or not they voted for Biden. He said, "So I encourage all Americans to give him a chance and lend their support. The election results at all levels show that our country remains deeply and bitterly divided."

Finally, Obama offered words of encouragement: "Our democracy needs us all more than ever. And Michelle and I want to support our next president and first lady as much as we can."