George W. Bush congratulated Biden and Harris, becoming the most prominent Republican to acknowledge their victory against Trump

• Former President George W. Bush on Sunday released a statement congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their win against President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
• Bush also congratulated Trump for receiving more than 70 million votes in the election and said the president was entitled to ask for recounts and pursue legal challenges.
• In his statement, Bush echoed Biden's victory speech, calling for unity "for the sake of our families and neighbors, and for our nation and its future."

Former President George W. Bush on Sunday released a statement congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, becoming one of the few Republicans to acknowledge Biden's win in the 2020 US election against President Donald Trump.

"I just talked to the president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden," Bush said in the Saturday statement. "I extended my warm congratulations and thanked him for the patriotic message he delivered last night. I also called Kamala Harris to congratulate her on her historic election to the vice presidency."

He continued: "Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country. The president-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans. I offered him the same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama: my prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can."

In the statement, Bush also reached out to President Donald Trump, who has so far refused to concede the election, congratulating him for his "hard-fought campaign" and his earning more than 70 million votes. Biden so far has claimed 76,120,958 votes across the nation compared with Trump's 71,654,182, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Insider and its election partner, DDHQ, on Friday projected Biden as the winner of the election. Other major news outlets, including CNN and the Associated Press, followed suit Saturday.

"The fact that so many of our fellow citizens participated in this election is a positive sign of the health of our democracy and a reminder to the world of its strength," Bush said. "No matter how you voted, your vote counted."

Bush, however, said that Trump had the "right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges" and that "any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated." Trump and his campaign have waged legal battles in multiple states, as he lobs baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and an effort by Democrats to "steal" the election.

As in the president-elect's Saturday-night victory speech, delivered in Wilmington, Delaware, Bush on Sunday called for unity following the heated and divisive election.

"The challenges that face our country will demand the best of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris — and the best of us all," Bush said. "We must come together for the sake of our families and neighbors, and for our nation and its future."