Trump preparing to declare premature victory

According to Axios, confidants said he will make an announcement if he’s ‘ahead’

As reported by Axios, President Donald Trump has told confidants that he plans to declare victory during Tuesday’s Presidential election if it appears he’s “ahead,” according to three sources that are aware of his private comments.

President Donald Trump works the crowd after speaking at a campaign rally Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Sunday evening, Trump denied the claims, adding, “I think it’s a terrible thing when ballots can be collected after an election. I think it’s a terrible thing when states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over.”

President Trump: "I think it's terrible that we can't know the results of an election the night of the election." pic.twitter.com/YTAlDRjNzE

— The Hill (@thehill) November 1, 2020

Axios also reported that Trump has privately spoken about the scenario by describing his plans to “walk up to a podium on election night and declare he has won.” In order for this to happen, he would have to either win or have a strong lead in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Iowa, Arizona and Georgia.

Read More: Yes, Joe Biden can still lose the presidential election

“Trump’s team is preparing to falsely claim that mail-in ballots counted after Nov. 3 – a legitimate count expected to favor Democrats – are evidence of election fraud,” the publication said.

Together, we can make Donald Trump a one-term president.https://t.co/eoxT07d7QB

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 2, 2020

On Sunday, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden responded to the reports by saying Trump “is not going to steal this election,” according to The Hill.

Read More: Biden says ‘no excuse for looting, violence’ amid Philadelphia unrest

Trump and Biden both campaigned in Pennsylvania during the weekend, with Trump holding four rallies in the state. Biden has headlined multiple events and is preparing to spend all of Monday campaigning in his home state.

According to The Hill, “Pennsylvania’s early count is likely to favor Trump because of state laws against counting mail-in ballots before Election Day. However, that margin is expected to narrow.”

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