US election 2020: about a third of the Senate is up for grabs.
President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are fighting for the White House, with polls gradually closing in the United States on Tuesday and a long night of waiting for results to come.
The first results arrive, with US media forecasting victories for the Republican incumbent so far in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia – all states he won in 2016 .
Biden captured Connecticut, his home state of Delaware, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the three electoral votes given to the capital American Washington (District of Columbia). All were won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Trump’s campaign claimed victory in the must-see state of Florida on Tuesday, although U.S. media said the race was still too close to be announced. The President’s campaign made the claim in a tweet as the ballots were still being counted in the state which holds 29 electoral college votes state by state.
The New York Times estimates the president’s chances of winning Florida at over 95%.
So far, that gives Biden 88 electoral votes and Trump 63. The magic number is 270. Observers expect the hotly contested White House race to come down to a handful of key states in the field. of battle.
This year’s tally has been slowed by the unprecedented use of postal ballots in response to coronavirus fears. More than 100 million Americans had already voted before election day.
Trump, 74, expressed his confidence as the evening approached, tweeting in all his characteristics in all caps “WE ARE REALLY GOOD AT THE COUNTRY. THANKS!”
WE ARE REALLY GOOD ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2020
He watched the results arrive at the White House surrounded by staff. It was not clear if he would speak to the public at some point, but he said earlier Tuesday that he was “not yet thinking of a concession or acceptance speech”.
“Winning is easy,” he said. “Losing is never easy – not for me.”
Biden, curled up with his family at home in Delaware, also said electoral trends during the day seemed to favor his side.
“What I’m hearing is that there is an overwhelming turnout. And an overwhelming turnout, especially from young people, women, and overwhelming turnout from African American voters, especially in Georgia and Florida, over the age of 65, “he told reporters.
“The things that are happening bode well for the base that supports me.”
Contested election?
Trump has repeatedly refused to confirm that he will accept the election results – a first for a US president. He argues, without providing any evidence, that the large number of postal ballots could be used to rig polls against him.
In the last period leading up to Election Day, Trump focused in particular on Pennsylvania, which allows ballots that are canceled by Election Day to be counted, even if they arrive after.
“The whole world is waiting,” Trump said Tuesday morning.
“You can’t put off these things for days,” he said, adding worryingly that “a lot of bad things” can happen.
“We should have the right to know who won on November 3,” he said.
However, he has eased fears somewhat that he is trying to declare victory prematurely, telling Fox News that he will only declare “when there is victory”.
“There is no reason to play games,” he said.
‘Scary’
Americans couldn’t be more divided over Trump.
To some, he represents a breath of fresh air that brought his business instinct to shake up the Washington establishment. For the other half of the country, he is a corrupt ruler who has destroyed the reputation of the United States abroad and fueled dangerous racist and nationalist sentiments at home.
In Miami, Juan Carlos Bertran, a 60-year-old Cuban-American mechanic, said Trump “looks better to me for the country’s economy.”
“Now I have two jobs,” he says. “Before, I only had one.”
But while voting in New York, Megan Byrnes-Borderan, 35, said Trump’s threats to challenge the election results in court were “frightening.”
“I believe Trump will go through all the stops to try to win the election,” she said.
Another New York voter, Justin Rodriguez, 32, said he was voting for Biden. “I really don’t like the tension,” he said. “I think Trump brought a lot more tension than we usually get.”
Fearing unrest, store owners closed windows in Washington and other major cities.
Covid question
Biden has targeted general public disapproval for Trump’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 230,000 Americans.
Trump – who quickly recovered from his own fight with the virus in October – is betting that Americans want to put the crisis behind them and fully reopen the economy. Biden, on the other hand, preaches caution and accuses the president of abandoning his core responsibilities.
“We’re done with the chaos! We’re done with the tweets, the anger, the hate, the failure, the irresponsibility,” Biden said at an election vigil rally in Cleveland, Ohio.
Covid-19 fears resulted in the huge flow of early voters, encouraged by Biden. Trump retaliated by staging dozens of mass campaign rallies without social distancing, underscoring his message that it is time to move on.
About a third of the Senate is up for grabs and Republicans stand to lose their 53-47 majority.
