View: Trump’s fate hangs in the balance

Washington: The 'most consequential election' in the United States is going down to the wire with President Donald Trump and Democratic Party challenger Joe Biden locked in a nail-biting finish perched on a cliff.

But what’s clear is the 'Blue wave' that Democrats had predicted did not wash ashore. Instead, Trump seems to have once again come back from behind to give a strong fight. At the time of writing, Biden was leading with 225 votes, while Trump had 213 in the race to get the winning tally of 270.

As results came in, both Republicans and Democrats held on to their traditional strongholds but battleground states such as Michigan and Wisconsin -- Florida going to Trump -- were still in play, the most important being Pennsylvania. Results from these states will eventually tilt the balance.


Both camps exuded confidence that their side would win. Trump was in the White House surrounded by family members and key supporters to watch the results.

Biden was in his home state of Delaware but he came out in front of supporters waiting in cars to say, “We feel good about where we are. Keep the faith. We are going to win this.” A loud series of honks pierced through the chilly night. The statement was a preemptive move against Trump declaring victory before all the votes have been counted, something Democrats fear he would do and make the transition messy.

As if on cue, Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning the Democrats are trying to “steal” the election. Votes cannot be cast after the polls are closed, he added in a reference to the late counting allowed by a court ruling in Pennsylvania. The Trump campaign says the rules have been relaxed for these late ballots to favour Democrats.



While visiting his campaign staff earlier in the day, Trump said, “Winning is easy. Losing is never easy. Not for me, it’s not.”

The Pennsylvania count could very well land in the courts, reminding Americans of the 2000 US Supreme Court decision which stopped the recount in Florida and essentially granting the presidency to Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore.

If the decision in 2020 is remotely controversial, supporters of both parties are likely to contest and take to the streets. Police are on alert in all major US cities to prevent violence and clashes between rival groups.

This election has tested the institutional strength of the US and the lack of a non-partisan national commission to hold elections and validate results is severely felt almost every four years.