Trump campaign reported to declare victory even if total ballots are not counted

Over the past few weeks, President Trump has reportedly told his confidants in private that he aims to declare victory on Tuesday night, if the outcome of the Electoral College hinges on large numbers of mail-in (or absentee) ballots in key battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The Trump Administration has been gradually ratcheting up their criticism of mail-in ballots, citing concerns pertaining to allegations of voter fraud, a similar tactic as that in the 2016 Presidential Election when Hilary Clinton eventually won the popular vote but failed to take hold of the Electoral College. Speaking to reporters on Sunday evening, President Trump denied these allegations, adding that "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", and that "we're going to go in the night of, as soon as that election's over, we're going in with our lawyers".

It is important to understand that part of President Trump's strategy after the polls have closed is to firstly have commanding leads in any of the swing states, including Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Iowa and Georgia, followed by creating a narrative that claims that any mail-in ballots counted after November 3rd are irrefutable evidence of voter fraud.

The turnout of the Presidential race is expected to reach historic heights, as already 93 million people have cast their votes as of Sunday, with approximately 34 million through early in-person votes, and nearly 59 million through mail-in or absentee ballots; with an additional 32 million outstanding mail ballots being expected to reach the election authorities, which trounces the previous election by a wide margin. It is entirely likely that the counting of such an unprecedented number of absentee ballots will take more time, which will only serve to fuel the Trump campaign's rhetoric of voter fraud.

2020 proved to be a tumultuous year for the Trump Administration, including an Impeachment Trial, civil strife and racial unrest across the country, and the globally infamous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed 225,000 American lives in the process. This election is proving to be a divisive affair, and President Trump is approaching it from a far weaker position as he has continued to rank significantly below Biden across most polls.