US Election 2020: From 'finally' to 'yes, he can too', how newspapers around world reacted to Biden's win

On Saturday, Democrat  Joe Biden secured enough votes to defeat incumbent US president Donald Trump in a dramatic and drawn-out counting process.

Newspapers around the world dedicated significant real estate in their front pages to the political shift in Washington.

Here is how the print media reacted to Biden’s win, starting with American dailies and onward to national newspapers in India and Europe.

United States

The New York Times tweeted out the front page of its Sunday edition shortly after the presidential race was called, leading with the short headline, “Biden beats Trump”. Versions of this headline were later seen in English dailies all around the world. The Washington Post chose to go with an identical message sans the alliteration. But unlike The New York Times, the Post’s front page reminded readers that Trump’s legal challenges may stretch the process longer than usual.

A smiling Biden appeared on the top of USA Today’s front page along with the headline “Biden wins White House”.

Delaware — the state that Biden has represented in the United States Senate for seven terms, and that now hosts Biden’s election headquarters — saw its local newspaper from Wilmington, The News Journal, lead with the fact that he will be the first American president from the state.

With “Made in Pennsylvania” in bold, The Scranton Times-Tribune alluded to Biden’s roots in Scranton, Pennsylvania in its front page on Sunday.

“It’s Joe Time,” said the New York Post as it reported on the election results after days of deadlock.

India

With the isolated word “finally”,  Indian Express led with the shortest headline to report the change of power in Washington.

The Times of India in its front page on Sunday referred to Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris’ phone call to Biden after media networks called the election in the favour of the Democrats on Saturday.

The Telegraph went its own unique way to report Trump’s loss in the United States presidential election.

India’s most widely-circulated daily, Dainik Jagran, also gave prominent space to the presidential race in the United States, running with a straightforward headline that translates, “Biden wins the contest.”

Hindustan Times alluded to former president Barack Obama’s election campaign in 2008 in its front page headline on Sunday.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, Dawn summed up the mood around the world with its headline ‘Agonising wait ends as Biden wins presidency in deeply divided US’.

Europe

Leading British daily The Telegraph in its front page on Sunday went with a quote from Biden himself: ”It’s time for America to heal.”

Leading with a picture of a Biden supporter celebrating the election results, The Times in the United Kingdom led with the headline, “Sleepy Joe wakes up America”, referring to Trump’s derogatory nickname for Biden.

Sunday newspaper The Observer printed a full bleed picture of a smiling Biden with the headline, “It’s Joe”.

Spain’s national daily El Mundo reported the results of the United States presidential race with a headline that translates to “Biden proclaims himself president, and dismisses Trump’s populism”.

 Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet printed a picture of Biden with his wife, Jill Biden, celebrating after the calling of the American presidential race in its front page on Sunday.

Leading German media house Der Spiegel on Sunday made reference to a famous and controversial cover from 2017 in which Trump is seen decapitating the Statue of Liberty. Sunday’s cover portrayed Biden (wearing a face mask, no less) restoring Lady Liberty’s head.

The Sunday Independent from Ireland called Biden’s win a “victory… for democracy” as the next article on the front page explored why American politics is so important to the country.

Italy’s weekly news magazine L’espresso picked a far more dramatic cover that shouted “Fired!”, possibly alluding to Trump’s former television reality show The Apprentice.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Daily Star chose to go with this: