Biden Leans Into Possible Victory; Says He Will 'Win This Race'

WILMINGTON, DE — As Democrat Joe Biden's lead widens in a handful of battleground states where mail-in ballots continue to be counted, the presidential candidate did not declare himself the winner during a late-night speech Friday night.

He did, however, lean into his likely victory and once again encourage Americans to come together following a contentious 2020 election.

"The numbers tell a clear and convincing story," Biden said, speaking from Wilmington just before 11 p.m. ET. "We are going to win this race."

As of Friday night, Biden was leading incumbent President Donald Trump in the key states of Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Arizona with the number of outstanding ballots dwindling throughout the day.

The Biden campaign put his live address on the schedule Friday morning after surpassing Trump in Pennsylvania's ongoing vote and it appeared the race could be called.

To clinch the presidency, Biden will need to win either Pennsylvania alone or any two of the three states where he is currently ahead: Nevada, Georgia and Arizona. Some outlets, including the Associated Press, have already named Biden the projected winner in Arizona, where more than 140,000 ballots remain to be counted.

Biden once again encouraged Americans to be patient as ballots are counted.

"Watching these vote totals can be slow. It can be numbing," the former vice president said. "But those tallies aren't just numbers. They represent voters — men and women who exercised their fundamental right to vote, and they made it clear. They want the country to come together."

Biden also noted how he, vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and their team are "not waiting to get the work done."

As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States hit a record 121,500 daily cases on Thursday, Biden said he and his team held meetings Thursday with public health and economic experts who will help put their plan to control the spread of the virus into action.

"This pandemic is getting worse," Biden said as he referenced the U.S. death count, which on Friday exceeded 236,000.

"We will never be able to measure all that pain and loss and suffering that families have experienced," he added. "We can't save the lives already lost, but we can save a lot in the months ahead."

Related: Biden Leads In Pennsylvania; Trump Again Falsely Claims Fraud

Biden's speech offered a stark contrast to one given by President Donald Trump from the White House on Thursday.

In his second public address since the election, Trump doubled down on baseless claims that Democrats are trying to "steal" the presidential election from him by counting legally cast votes.

In his remarks, Trump offered no evidence to support his allegations of election fraud, baseless claims he has been making for months after states made accommodations for more mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"If you count the legal votes, I easily win," Trump said, raising concerns about the validity of absentee ballots allowed under state election laws, falsely claiming "they make people corrupt."