Trump Declares Victory Ahead Of Results From Key States

President Donald Trump reiterated in an address to the nation on election night that a “very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise” the millions who voted.

What Happened: “We were getting ready for a big celebration," Trump remarked from the White House, addressing his supporters. "We were winning everything and all of a sudden it was just called off.”

The president described the election night’s results as “phenomenal.” “We won states that we weren’t expected to win,” Trump said, referring to his victory in Florida. “We didn’t win it. We won it by a lot.”

Trump detailed his wins in Ohio and Texas, which he claimed he won by 700,000 votes and “they don’t even include it in the tabulations.”

The incumbent claimed that it was “clear” that he had won in Georgia and that his lead in the state could not be breached. The president also claimed to have won North Carolina. It's worth noting that the Associated Press hasn't called either state for any candidate yet.

Trump pointed to a possible victory in Arizona and laid claim to a victory in Pennsylvania “by a tremendous amount of votes.” The AP is yet to call the state for any candidate yet, as well.

Trump made allegations of electoral fraud in the speech, dubbing the delay in calling certain states “en embarrassment to our country.”

“We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election,” Trump said to the cheers of his supporters. 

“This is a major fraud on our nation, we want the law to be used in a proper manner so we will be going to the U.S. Supreme Court,” saying he was taking this measure to safeguard the election.

“As far as I am concerned, we already have won [the election], said Trump.

Why It Matters: Trump had told people close to him that he would declare victory on election night if it looked like he’s “ahead,” according to Axios.

Trump’s team is reportedly preparing to make false claims that mail-in ballots counted after Nov. 3, which are likely to favor Democrats, are evidence of fraud.

Advisors to the president have been preparing this strategy for weeks, noted Axios.

Earlier in the evening, Democratic rival Joe Biden told his supporters that he felt good “about where we are.” Biden claimed he was still “in the game” in Georgia and expressed confidence in winning Arizona.