President Trump prematurely claims victory, even though the counting continues

With votes still being counted into the early morning hours Wednesday, President Donald Trump prematurely declared victory and said he would ask the Supreme Court to stop the counts.

Trump accused the Democrats of “fraud against the American people,” adding, “Frankly, we did win this election,” according to The New York Times.

With battleground states still in the balance, the presidential race is still undecided early Wednesday and final results could be further delayed as counting continues.

Trump said, “We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court,” and added, “We want all voting to stop,” according to the Times.

It’s unclear what he means in a country in which vote tabulations routinely continue beyond Election Day, and states largely set the rules for when the count has to end, according to The Associated Press.

Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s campaign called Trump’s statement “outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect.”

Earlier, Biden said: “As I’ve said all along, it’s not my place or Donald Trump’s place to declare who’s won this election. “That’s the decision of the American people. But I’m optimistic about this outcome. ... “It ain’t over till every vote is counted.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 5:15 AM.