OTTAWA -- With full results still pending in a handful key battleground states and no clear winner in the U.S. presidential election, federal Canadian leaders are staying quiet pending a definitive outcome.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump and saying that the Republicans are 鈥渦p BIG,鈥 as of 1:30 a.m. The Associated Press was reporting Trump had secured 213 electoral college votes, while Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden had secured 224.
Beating Trump to the microphone in the early morning hours, Biden about where the Democrats are, saying he believes they are 鈥渙n track to win this election.鈥
鈥淏ecause of the unprecedented early vote, it鈥檚 going to take a while, we鈥檙e going to have to be patient,鈥 said Biden, promising he鈥檇 have more to say later on Wednesday.
On account of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has seen historic numbers of advanced and mail-in votes counted, prompting some states to say it鈥檒l take them days to complete their counts.
Canadian political leaders had anticipated this possibility and as of 1 a.m., none had weighed in on the state of the race since before polls closed across the United States.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his opposition counterparts watched the results come in over Tuesday night, as did millions of Canadians curious to see how the outcome will impact this country.
Whether Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are re-elected, Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris turn them into one-term leaders, or it takes days for a clear winner to be declared, Trudeau had told reporters on Tuesday that Canada will continue to 鈥渕ake sure we're standing up for Canadian interests every step of the way.鈥
The prime minister had plans to watch 鈥減art of鈥 the election coverage tonight from home, but he isn鈥檛 expected to comment on the results until a clear winner is declared.
Trudeau noted the possibility of the race being too close to call Tuesday night, leaving the answer to who will lead that country for the next four years unanswered for an indeterminate amount of time.
Regardless of who wins, Trudeau has pledged to 鈥渨ork alongside鈥 the U.S. administration and keep on top of the 鈥渆bbs and flows鈥 and 鈥渕ovements and expressions of will鈥 within American society.
鈥淥bviously, elections matter and we will watch the results of this one, but Canada is well positioned and ready to continue to work with the American people and the American government regardless of the outcomes of tonight,鈥 he said.
Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole offered similar assurances that if he was the prime minister, he鈥檇 be committed to working 鈥渧ery closely鈥 with whomever the next U.S. president is to keep the relationship 鈥渟trong,鈥 given the extensive economic, social, and policy ties between the two countries.
鈥淭he Americans are a very close and important ally. It鈥檚 important for the prime minister to find common ground in the best interests of our citizens, and to try to work together on issues. I will do that regardless of who the president is,鈥 O鈥橳oole told reporters on Tuesday. O鈥橳oole also has plans to spend part of his night watching the results roll in, but also wasn鈥檛 expected to weigh in until a victor is declared.
In an interview on CTV鈥檚 Power Play, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Gary Doer issued a caution to the federal party leaders watching tonight鈥檚 election outcome.
鈥淢y advice in 2012 when I was in Washington was: Let the American people decide who the president is going to be,鈥 he said, adding that he thinks regardless of the outcome it鈥檚 鈥渞eally important鈥 that the other political leaders support how Trudeau deals with whomever gets sworn-in in January.
BLANCHET, SINGH HOPE FOR TRUMP LOSS
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet have taken a less diplomatic position, with both in recent days saying they are hoping for a Trump defeat.
that while he tries to be careful about speaking about the internal affairs of other countries, he hopes Trump loses the presidency -- and that he loses 鈥渟o clearly, that any attempt to challenge the result would be utterly in vain.鈥 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only the United States, or Quebec, or Canada that would fare better if this man was to leave the Oval Office," he said.
Singh took his remarks early on that he hopes Americans 鈥渧ote him out.鈥
The NDP leader said that over the last four years Trump has 鈥渇anned the flames of hatred and division,鈥 and 鈥渇ailed鈥 the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have died from COVID-19.
鈥淭rump makes the world a more dangerous place for all of us and I hope to see him lose,鈥 Singh said.
In a later press conference Singh doubled down on his position, saying he thinks it鈥檚 a 鈥渕oral imperative鈥 for him to speak out.
Reacting to Singh鈥檚 approach, former foreign affairs minister John Manley said on CTV鈥檚 Power Play that it indicates 鈥渉e doesn鈥檛 ever expect to be the prime minister of Canada.鈥
鈥淭hey鈥檙e expected to work with whoever the United States chooses, and they will do so because they work for Canadians and Canadians鈥 interests are going to be served by having some kind of working relationship with the president of the United States. Jagmeet Singh doesn鈥檛 obviously think he鈥檒l ever be in that position so he can say whatever he wants,鈥 Manley said.
PANDEMIC IMPACTS, POSSIBLE UNREST
Another factor Canadian officials are keeping close watch for is the potential for civil unrest or protests as a result of the outcome, or in the instance of potential instability prompted by lack of a clear winner.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday that the government will respect the choice made by American people but Canada stands ready to 鈥渂e there for Canadians鈥 who live in the United States, should violence break out.
鈥淲e'll be there for them,鈥 she said.
Freeland said she has spoken with Canada鈥檚 Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman and wants to assure Canadians that 鈥渙ur government is absolutely ready and we have thoughtfully prepared for all eventualities.鈥
鈥淚 really want to assure Canadians that, you know, just as we were ready when we came into office in 2015, just as we were ready in 2016, we are ready today,鈥 Freeland said.I
In an interview during CTV News鈥 U.S. election special with Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme, Hillman said the embassy has 鈥渟ecurity and contingency plans in place that we will deploy if we need to.鈥
鈥淏ut you know these are plans that we have in place for a variety of different things that can happen here or anywhere,鈥 Hillman said. 鈥淏ut yes, absolutely we're prepared.鈥
