Democrats are preparing a swift response to counter any premature declaration of election victory by Donald Trump, according to officials from Kamala Harris’s campaign and the Democratic
Party. Their strategy involves flooding social media and broadcasting messages that emphasize the importance of patience and allowing all votes to be counted.
Trump has already suggested to reporters that he might claim victory on Election Day, despite experts warning that final results could take days to finalize, especially if recounts are needed in critical areas. He is currently in a tight race with Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
Election results in the U.S. are generally called by major media outlets based on official vote counts. While some candidates have declared victory before the final counts in the past, it is rare to do so before any clear signs of winning emerge.
"We are, unfortunately, ready for that scenario," Harris stated in an ABC interview, expressing concern that Trump could attempt to mislead the public and media. Harris did not share specifics, but campaign and party officials revealed plans to counter any early victory claims by Trump through a robust public messaging campaign.
A Democratic National Committee official mentioned that they are prepared to immediately appear on television and social media to challenge any false victory declarations by Trump, using a network of influential voices to call for patience and transparency in vote counting.
A Harris campaign senior official expressed their expectation that Trump might falsely declare victory before all votes are tallied. "He did this before, and it didn't work. If he tries again, it will fail," the official assured.
In 2020, Trump prematurely claimed victory early on Election Day, days before media networks called the race, which he ultimately lost to Joe Biden. Trump has continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was stolen through widespread fraud, a narrative he has yet to abandon.
Steve Bannon, a prominent Trump ally, advised Trump to declare victory quickly. "He should stand up and say, 'Hey, I've won this,'" Bannon said in a recent interview with The New York Times after serving a prison sentence for defying congressional subpoenas related to the January 6th Capitol attacks.
When asked, Trump’s campaign refrained from clarifying if he planned to declare victory before the race is officially called but stated they would fight until every vote is cast.
Trump donor Bill Bean, who has occasionally criticized the former president, expressed hope for a decisive win for either candidate to minimize disputes over the results.
In 2020, Trump’s early declaration was widely criticized, even by prominent Republicans, but it had little market impact. However, this election cycle might differ, given Trump’s strengthened influence over the Republican Party. Political strategists suggest that many conservatives may now be more inclined to support his claims.
"We've seen him take full control of the party," said Chip Felkel, a veteran Republican strategist critical of Trump. "And there’s no sign that party leaders will oppose him."
Trump and his allies have also been laying the groundwork to contest a potential loss, alleging possible voting by non-citizens and mobilizing legal teams to challenge election outcomes. During his rallies, Trump often emphasizes the need for a significant margin of victory to avoid claims of fraud, telling supporters their win must be "too big to rig." Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.