Former President Donald Trump hastily proclaimed his triumph in the hotly contested 2024 presidential election, addressing his fervent supporters in a nocturnal speech, even as vote tallies were still streaming in and numerous states remained undecided in this historically tense race for the White House. Trump, poised to be coronated the victor by the Associated Press and other media outlets within the hour, couldn't resist the urge to announce his victory preemptively, outpacing an independent news declaration.
With the AP awarding Pennsylvania to Trump, this critical swing state's victory propelled the former president within a hair's breadth of officially outpacing Harris in electoral votes. A likely win in Alaska or any of the outstanding battleground states – Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, or Nevada – would inevitably pave his return to the Oval Office.
Around 2:30 a.m. ET, Trump ascended a podium adorned on a stage within the confines of his Mar-a-Lago residence in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was soon enveloped by his wife, Melania Trump, their five children and their spouses, his vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance and his wife, alongside an array of campaign staff and loyal supporters.
"I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the American people for the immense honor of being elected your 47th – and once again, your 45th – president," Trump declared passionately. "I shall wage relentless battles for you, for your family, and for your future. Every waking moment, with every ounce of energy I possess, I will champion your causes. My mission will not cease until we have forged a robust, secure, and thriving America that our children and you yourselves rightfully deserve. This shall indeed be the dawn of a Golden Age. It is a spectacle beyond compare."
Despite several states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona, still in limbo, Trump, bolstered by the projected Pennsylvania win, deemed it opportune to mount the stage and declare himself the undeniable victor.
Earlier this week, Trump boldly announced to reporters his intention to declare victory on Election Day, despite the widespread understanding that determining the winner could take several days due to the meticulously counted votes in a race projected to be extremely tight. This marks the second consecutive presidential election where Trump prematurely claimed victory, beating any anticipated announcement from major networks or news outlets.
As election results trickle in, officials meticulously hand over voting data to select major news outlets, where seasoned analysts scrutinize polls, early voting trends, and other election-related intelligence to a point where a definitive winner can confidently be declared. In 2020, Trump laid the groundwork for his deceptive claim by announcing an overnight victory following Election Day, only to witness a surge of votes pouring in for Joe Biden over the subsequent days. Biden was officially declared the winner of the 2020 election on Saturday, four days after Election Day. However, Trump has steadfastly refused to acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 election and continues to rally support by perpetuating the false narrative that the presidential election lacks credibility and that he was unfairly deprived of his rightful place in the White House.
During a Sunday rally, Trump escalated his rhetoric, informing his supporters that the election was already being stolen and falsely asserting that states had extended voting by 12 days and that voters at polling stations in crucial states were being turned away, along with various other fabricated tales of voter suppression. He even went so far as to say that he "shouldn't have left" the White House after Biden's victory.
In a call with reporters last week, an official from the Harris campaign revealed that they "fully anticipate" Trump will falsely declare victory on Tuesday night and have devised a comprehensive strategy to flood TV, radio, and social media with calls for calm as votes are counted and verifiable information is gathered to counteract Trump's false narrative of a presidential win.
The court of public opinion stands as the frontline in such scenarios, and undoubtedly, the most crucial arena in the event of a premature victory declaration. While one side may initiate a false narrative, the other can always counter it publicly with undeniable, concrete facts. On Monday, an unnamed official from the Harris campaign told Reuters that they are ready to "step into the spotlight on TV and present the truth, tapping into a vast network of influencers who can leverage their power to push back against the false narrative." This strategic leveraging of their extensive network aligns seamlessly with the star power the campaign has harnessed over the past weeks to mobilize voters. Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and other celebrities took the stage with the vice president to show their unwavering support, while Black male celebrities advocated for Harris' plan to court the voting bloc that polls indicated was drifting away this year.
