US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC on November 13, 2020 (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

Speaking to reporters on the Thanksgiving holiday, Mr. Trump said that if Joe Biden, who is due to be sworn in on January 20, is certified the election winner by the Electoral College, he will leave the White House.

But he said it would be hard for him to concede under the current circumstances and declined to say whether he would attend Biden’s inauguration.

It was the first time Mr. Trump has taken questions from reporters since Election Day.

In the United States, a candidate becomes president by securing the most electoral votes, rather than by winning a majority of the national popular vote.