Live updates on Election Day 2024 as poll numbers remain undecided between Trump and Harris and the US goes to the polls

According to several sources familiar with the talks, there were discussions as part of the campaign for Trump to declare an early victory on election night, as he did in 2020.

Trump could claim early victory sometime after the first round of voting arrives on Tuesday and well before official calls are made. The early results could see Republicans leaning in key battleground states and then turning Democratic, particularly in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, as absentee and absentee ballots are tallied.

Therefore, Trump could exploit the appearance that he might have the edge in the counting of subsequent ballots in advance of an election postponement, allowing him to justify himself to his base and muddy the situation with unfounded claims that the election was taken away from him become him.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, did not rule out the possibility that Trump could declare victory on election night. He was asked by CBS News’ Olivia Rinaldi if Trump would come out on election night and declare victory, and Miller said, “We won’t say until we get past 270.” Rinaldi asked who they would get to 270 after, and Miller replied again, “Once we get past 270, we’ll rely on it.”

Speaking from the cab of a garbage truck on October 30, Trump was asked if he expected to declare victory on election night. “I hope we will declare victory,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to get a win that’s going to be big enough to maybe have that night. You should always have that on this evening.”

Trump allies like Steven Bannon have also called on the former president to “address the nation” at 11 p.m. on election night to “explain to the American people where voting is taking place.”

Trump declared victory in 2020 around 2:30 a.m. ET on November 4, despite not having won. President Biden was projected to win on November 7th after his victory in Pennsylvania.

The It may take a while for the results to be available for several reasons, including different methods across states for counting mail-ins and early voting.

– Olivia Rinaldi, Fin Gomez and Robert Costa