Trump's pre‑emptive victory plan stirs election concerns

The presidential elections in the United States began on Tuesday. Current Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, who occupied the White House from 2017 to 2021, are vying for the position.

Four years ago, Trump struggled to accept defeat, questioned the election results, and alleged fraud without providing evidence, actions that culminated in his supporters storming the Capitol. Five people lost their lives in the riots.

Before this year's elections, there were concerns about a repeat of the incidents that occurred in 2020. Meanwhile, CBS reported that Trump's team has recently discussed how the politician should proceed. One idea involves declaring victory for the Republican candidate even before the official election results are announced.

"Trump may prematurely declare victory after the first batch of results is announced in the evening," a CBS source said.

CBS points out that results from states traditionally won by Republicans may be published first. However, one should remember the phenomenon of the "red mirage" and "blue shift," where the Democrats gain ground as mail-in ballots are counted.

In 2020, this phenomenon was particularly noticeable in Pennsylvania, where a substantial number of Democratic supporters opted to vote by mail.

Declaring victory based on partial results may later enable Trump to question the election outcomes and to reiterate claims of "stolen" elections.

"We will not declare victory until we have 270 electoral votes," said Jason Miller when asked by journalists about Donald Trump's plans. The media attempted to ascertain how and when the Republicans would confirm they have secured the necessary number of electoral votes.

"Once we surpass 270, then we'll be confident," added Miller but avoided answering the crucial question.