Can Kamala Harris still win? Pessimism turns to dismay at Harris HQ
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It appears that Kamala Harris's chances of reaching the White House are diminishing, as early voting figures from across the United States indicate significant victories for the Republicans on Tuesday evening, including Donald Trump winning three important swing states.
The Republican candidate for president is now just four Electoral College points away from winning. He spoke to his supporters at his campaign headquarters in Florida, stating: “The American people have granted us an extraordinary and strong mandate.”
Trump expressed his gratitude to his wife, Melania, and their children, who came onto the stage with their partners. He also acknowledged his running mate, JD Vance, as well as his campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles. Additionally, he recognized Robert F. Kennedy Jr., UFC president Dana White, and golfer Bryson DeChambeau for their support of his campaign.
During the Democratic watch party held at Howard University in Washington, campaign representatives informed the shrinking audience late Tuesday night that the Vice President would not be making an appearance until the following day. Meanwhile, Harris remained at her home at the Naval Observatory.
The atmosphere at Howard became increasingly grim as Trump swiftly gained momentum in the Sun Belt regions of North Carolina and Georgia, with many analysts ultimately predicting victories for the Republican candidate. This momentum continued as he also secured a crucial win in Pennsylvania.
At the same time, The New York Times' election tracker indicates that Trump has a 95 percent chance of winning, according to the latest information. The Republican candidate is expected to secure 306 Electoral College votes, far surpassing the 270 required to win.
The Times is also predicting that Trump will triumph in the key battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
In more than 1,300 counties where at least 95 percent of the votes have been tallied, Trump's performance has gotten better in at least 92 percent of these areas compared to 2020, as shown by a Politico analysis. However, it's important to note that most of these counties are not key competitive regions.
The surge of Republican victories led to major Trump supporters, including Elon Musk, feeling jubilant.
"Game, set, and match," he tweeted on X Tuesday night while attending the former president's election night gathering in Florida.
Harris aimed to win over the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania to clinch the presidency, but that possibility now seems uncertain.
Currently, Trump is ahead of Harris in Michigan, with 52.3% of the votes compared to her 46%. This is based on 59.4% of the anticipated votes being counted.
Michigan, known as the birthplace of the American automotive industry, emerged as a crucial proving ground for both candidates' credentials in industrial matters. Additionally, it served as an important gauge of how the state's substantial Muslim and Arab-American populations would influence each candidate's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the accusations of genocide in Gaza.
In Wisconsin, Trump is currently ahead of Harris by a margin of 51.4% to 47.2%, with 85% of the votes counted.
On Tuesday, the Harris campaign expressed that it still holds some hope.
"Even as we receive ongoing updates from the Sun Belt region, we have always understood that our best route to securing 270 electoral votes goes through the Blue Wall states," wrote Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris campaign, in an email to staff that was acquired by The Independent late on Tuesday.
"We're quite pleased with what we’re observing."
The email indicated that Harris was exceeding expectations for voter turnout in crucial Philadelphia, possibly surpassing the levels seen in 2020. It also mentioned anticipating “strong turnout” in Detroit, although the election results there won’t be revealed until later tonight.
The Democratic campaign is still waiting for results from certain areas of Wisconsin, which is highly competitive, along with key states on the West Coast, namely Nevada and Arizona.
Trump is presently ahead in both of the key regions in the Southwest.
Meanwhile, even though well-known Democratic strategist James Carville cautioned about Trump's strong showings in suburban regions like Loudon County, Virginia, analysts have declared that state in favor of Harris.
