President Joe Biden delivered remarks to the nation early Thursday morning - his first appearance on camera in the aftermath of Donald Trump ’s decisive victory over Kamala Harris.

"For over 200 years, America has carried on the greatest experiment in self government in the history of the world, ... where the people, the people, vote and choose their own leaders, and they do it peacefully," he said. 

"We're in a democracy. The will of the people always prevails," he continued. He said that on Wednesday he spoke with President-elect Trump to congratulate him.

"I assured him that I'd direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition," Biden continued.

Control over the U.S. House of Representatives hangs in the balance, teetering between a Republican or Democratic majority with dozens of races left to be called.

Trump’s presidential transition starts now. Here’s how it will work

Trump’s impending return to the White House means he’ll want to stand up an entirely new administration from the one that served under President Joe Biden. His team is also pledging that the second won’t look much like the first one Trump established after his 2016 victory.

The president-elect now has a 75-day transition period to build out his team before Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. One top item on the to-do list: filling around 4,000 government positions with political appointees, people who are specifically tapped for their jobs by Trump’s team.

That includes everyone from the secretary of state and other heads of Cabinet departments to those selected to serve part-time on boards and commissions. Around 1,200 of those presidential appointments require Senate confirmation, which should be easier with the Senate now shifting to Republican control.

▶ Read more about Trump’s transition

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