Trump campaign predicts it 'will win Pennsylvania' after already prematurely claiming victory


The Trump campaign can't quite settle on a consistent message about the state of the race in Pennsylvania.
Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien on Thursday told reporters "we still have confidence in Pennsylvania," and he predicted that "we will win" the state," reports The Daily Beast's Sam Stein. Pennsylvania is among the crucial battleground states where votes continue to be counted, and with 91 percent of the votes in, Trump currently has a lead over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. No news networks have projected a winner in Pennsylvania, however.
But Stepien's confidence in Trump's eventual Pennsylvania win comes after on Wednesday, Trump's campaign already prematurely claimed victory in the state.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Stepien now says "we will win Pennsylvania" after declaring yesterday they had already won PA— Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) November 5, 2020
"We are declaring a victory in Pennsylvania," Stepien said on Wednesday. "This is not based on gut or feel. This is based on math."
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany had also previously tweeted, "VICTORY for President @realDonaldTrump in PENNSYLVANIA," while the president's son Eric falsely claimed, "We have won Pennsylvania!" Twitter attached warning labels to both of these tweets, noting that "official sources may not have called the race" yet. The Trump campaign also claimed in a fundraising email on Wednesday, "We have won Pennsylvania!"
Even on Thursday, though, not everyone in the campaign was exactly on the same page about this, as Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller again falsely claimed Trump has won Pennsylvania. While the race remains tight, The New York Times' Nate Cohn writes that Biden "remains on track" to pull ahead in Pennsylvania after Trump's lead "plummeted to two percentage points" by Thursday morning.
The Trump campaign on Thursday also generally expressed confidence that the president will win re-election after Biden said Wednesday he believes he will win. Stepien told reporters, "Donald Trump is alive and well."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Truck drivers are questioning the Trump administration's English mandate
Talking Points Some have praised the rules, others are concerned they could lead to profiling
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school mass
Speed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
-
Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summit
Speed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position
-
US, China extend trade war truce for 90 days
Speed Read The triple-digit tariff threat is postponed for another three months
-
Europe counters Putin ahead of Trump summit
Speed Read President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week for Ukraine peace talks
-
Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeover
Speed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip