Trump campaign officials said Tuesday they’re encouraged by heavy Republican turnout in key states and that Black voters are not voting in large numbers on Election Day in traditionally Democratic areas.
Trump officials also said they hope to amass enough of a lead in crucial swing states on Tuesday night to dispel the Democrats’ argument that former Vice President Joseph R. Biden will overcome any deficit on Election Day by adding mail-in ballots that are counted later.
“We think we’re going to get enough votes … that would ultimately result in us getting enough electoral votes to be high enough to where none of this [fight over mail-in ballots] is going to matter,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller.
But Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, speaking to reporters just hours before polls closed on the East Coast, said the presidential contest is still “a tight race.”
Mr. Stepien and Mr. Miller said they are encouraged by “very, very high Election Day turnout” in regions such as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Republican counties in Wisconsin, and regions of Pennsylvania including Lancaster County, Dauphin County and the northeast corner of the state.
“It’s very much matching our expectations of being overwhelmingly a Trump vote,” he said.
Mr. Stepien said turnout appears to be light in some precincts in Philadelphia, such as Center City.
Mr. Miller said the election will show that the Democrats can no longer take the African-American vote for granted.”
“Also, there aren’t as many African-Americans that appear to be voting today. We’re getting a much bigger chunk of a smaller pie,” he said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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