George W. Bush said Donald Trump has the ‘right to pursue legal challenges’ over vote counting but insisted the US election was ‘fundamentally fair’.

The former US president said he has spoken with Joe Biden and thanked him for ‘the patriotic message’ he delivered in a speech on Saturday night after being declared the winner of the election. He added that he also called Kamala Harris to congratulate the vice president on her ‘historic’ win.

In a statement, Mr Bush insisted American people ‘can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear.’ He added that ‘no matter how you voted, your vote counted’.

But the Republican insisted that Trump is within his rights to request vote recounts and pursue legal challenges – amid unfounded claims that the election was rigged – but Mr Bush was certain ‘any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated’.

The Republican also acknowledged that he and the president-elect have political differences but said he knows Biden ‘to be good man who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country.’

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