Former US President Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives, more than 3 hours late, to a campaign rally in Traverse City, Michigan on October 25, 2024. Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Images

If Trump declares victory before votes are counted, 'it will fail,' Harris campaign says

by · CNBC

Key Points

  • A senior official in the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris said they "fully expect" Donald Trump to declare victory before all votes are counted on Election Day.
  • The Republican nominee "did this before. It failed," said the official, who predicted any similar effort by Trump to claim he beat the Democratic nominee Harris before all ballots are tallied will likewise fail.
  • Trump has falsely claimed for years that he defeated President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

A senior official in the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris said Friday they "fully expect" Donald Trump to declare victory before all votes are counted on Election Day evening.

But "it won't work," the official told reporters.

"He did this before. It failed," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in a press call, according to NBC News. "If he does it again, it will fail."

The official said Republican nominee Trump "lies all the time" and is already seeking "to sow doubt about a loss that he anticipates is coming" on Tuesday against Harris, the Democratic nominee and current vice president.

"Meanwhile, we are focused on making sure that all of our voters have the information to get out and vote, and that they feel confident doing it safely and securely, and that they know that we're going to protect that vote and that we are going to ensure that it counts, no matter what Trump and his campaign are doing," the campaign official said.

The call came on the heels of baseless claims by Trump that there is large-scale "cheating" going on in voting in Pennsylvania, a key swing state in the election.

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"REPORT CHEATING TO AUTHORITIES. Law Enforcement must act, NOW!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday.

Trump has falsely claimed for four years that he, not President Joe Biden, won the 2020 election.

He faces criminal prosecutions in federal court in Washington, D.C., and state court in Atlanta in connection with his attempts to overturn his loss to Biden.