Elections

Pennsylvania Breaks for Trump as He Inches Closer to Retaking White House

BIG WIN

The win means the former president is on the precipice of returning to the Oval Office for another four years.

Pennsylvania for Trump
Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast

The all-important swing state Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes have been won by Donald Trump, a massive victory that has him on the precipice of winning the presidency, according to the Associated Press and CNN.

Both candidates poured extensive resources into the state and spent more time there than any other swing state. In total, Kamala Harris held 16 campaign rallies there, including her final one, while Trump hosted 15 of his own.

The calling of the race wasn’t without drama. While other toss-up states on the east coast like Georgia and North Carolina quickly reported the vast majority of its ballots, Pennsylvania’s results came at a slower pace. It was a far cry from four years ago, however, when Joe Biden eventually eked out a win in the state four days after Election Day.

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Pennsylvania often found itself at the center of the 2024 election. Trump was nearly killed when a gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, nicking his ear. He left the incident relatively unharmed, though images of a bloodied Trump raising his fist while surrounded by Secret Service agents will go down as one of the most iconic images of the campaign.

Even after the near-death experience, Trump turned around to hold one of his most prominent rallies there two months later, joining up with deep-pocketed backer Elon Musk.

Harris, meanwhile, announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in Philadelphia on Aug. 7. She also held the finally rally of her campaign in the city of brotherly love on Monday evening.

Fox News and other right-wing networks, like Newsmax, have already called the election for Donald Trump. As of 2 a.m. EST, however, the other major networks and newspapers had stopped short of following suit as Harris could technically still win if she is able to pull off comeback wins in Arizona and Nevada.

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