What was once a nightmare scenario is taking shape, with Biden saying he is on a path to victory and Trump lobbing unfounded accusations of voter fraud and electoral theft.

It's a recipe for acrimony and a protracted court battle, which ends with supporters on the losing side feeling angry and cheated.
Although the final results aren't known, what is clear after election night is that the US continues to be a sharply divided nation.

The American voters did not repudiate Trump in any meaningful way. Nor did they give him the kind of ringing endorsement that the president had hoped for.

Instead, the battle lines are drawn - and the political warfare will continue no matter who prevails in this particular election.