With Donald Trump surging ahead in the US Presidential race, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has cancelled her election night speech.
“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris campaign co-chair, said in Washington.
With crucial victories in North Carolina and the contested battleground state of Georgia, Trump’s lead has left Harris with limited paths to victory in an exceptionally tense and divisive race. Trump, now 78, appears poised for a return to the White House.
The Republican Party has also successfully regained control of the Senate, flipping two Democratic seats, which further strengthens Trump’s political momentum.
Despite fierce campaigning, Harris is underperforming in key regions where Democrats had hoped to secure a stronger foothold. In response to these emerging results, Harris’s campaign refrained from holding a planned watch party in Washington DC.
Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller described the mood at his base in Florida as “positive” as results continue to favour the former president. Market reaction has also been swift, with the US dollar surging and Bitcoin reaching record highs, as investors respond to the probability of a Trump win.
Thus far, Trump has secured victories in traditionally Republican states like Florida and Texas, bringing his total to 243 electoral votes compared to Harris’s 194. The winner will need to secure 270 votes to claim the presidency.