In the 2024 U.S. Elections, North Carolina stands out as the only swing state that Donald Trump won in 2020. With its mix of urban and rural voters, the state plays a crucial role in the electoral landscape. As candidates ramp up their campaigns, North Carolina is poised to be a battleground, with both parties vying for the support of its diverse electorate in the upcoming election.

US Elections 2024: North Carolina Is The Only Swing State That Trump Won In 2020

Former President Donald Trump has launched a series of attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris through various media outlets, targeting her policies and political record as the 2024 U.S. presidential elections approach. His comments aim to galvanize his supporters and draw contrasts with the current administration as the campaign heats up.

BREAKING: Donald Trump Criticizes Kamala Harris In Media Blitz Ahead of US Elections 2024

Donald Trump has issued a warning that religion is "under threat" in the United States, highlighting concerns about growing secularism and attacks on religious freedoms. His remarks reflect a broader narrative among some conservatives about the challenges facing faith-based communities in the current socio-political climate.

US Elections 2024: Donald Trump Warns Religion Is 'Under Threat' In The US

As the U.S. presidential elections approach, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are making their final appeals to voters. Trump emphasizes his previous administration's achievements and promises to restore economic growth, while Harris focuses on advancing social justice and economic equity. Both candidates are ramping up their campaigns to galvanize support and secure crucial votes in key battleground states.

U.S. Elections: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Deliver Final Appeals To Voters

In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. elections, a group of voters has filed lawsuits demanding changes to ensure their votes are accurately counted. These legal challenges focus on election integrity, voting rights, and concerns about the electoral process, with plaintiffs seeking reforms to improve transparency and fairness. The lawsuits come amid a polarized political climate, where issues such as gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the security of voting systems are under intense scrutiny. The outcome of these legal battles could have significant implications for how votes are cast and counted in the 2024 elections.

US Elections 2024: US Voters Sue For Making Their Votes Count

The U.S. is intensifying its battle against disinformation threats, especially in the context of elections. This involves a multifaceted approach that includes implementing legislation to regulate false information, launching public awareness campaigns to help citizens identify misleading content, and supporting independent fact-checking organizations.

US Elections 2024: 'Stolen Satire' Feeds USA Election Misinformation

Elon Musk has expressed concerns about potential financial fallout if Donald Trump loses the 2024 U.S. elections. Musk fears that a change in administration could lead to economic instability, affecting markets, taxes, and business regulations, which could impact industries including tech and space exploration. As the CEO of major companies like Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has been vocal about how political shifts can influence the business environment. His concerns reflect broader anxieties within the corporate world about the potential consequences of the election outcome on economic growth and policy changes.

Elon Musk Fears Financial Fallout If Donald Trump Loses US Elections

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election battle intensifies, Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining momentum in the key battleground state of Wisconsin. With polls showing her as a strong contender, Harris's campaign has focused heavily on mobilizing voters in the state, which played a crucial role in past elections. Wisconsin is expected to be a pivotal state in determining the outcome of the race, and Harris’s potential victory here could significantly boost her re-election chances alongside President Joe Biden. The growing competition highlights the importance of swing states in the final push toward election day.

US Elections 2024: Presidential Election Battle Heats Up As Harris Likely To Win In Wisconsin

Ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections, former President Barack Obama is set to rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. Obama's support aims to energize Democratic voters and bolster Harris’s campaign as she seeks to secure the vice presidency for a second term alongside President Joe Biden. Pennsylvania, a pivotal swing state, could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election. Obama's involvement reflects the high stakes of the race, as Democrats look to retain their hold on the White House by mobilizing voters in competitive states.

US Elections 2024: Barack Obama To Rally For Harris In Battleground Pennsylvania

NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams will cast her vote for 2024 US Presidential elections approximately 400 kms above the earth surface from aboard International Space Station. However, she won't be the first astronaut to vote from space after a Texas law in 1997 enabled NASA astronauts to cast ballots from orbit.

US Elections 2024: NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams To Vote From Space

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the latest popularity polls show a tightly contested race between the major candidates. Both the Democratic and Republican nominees are seeing fluctuating support, with voter sentiment divided on key issues like the economy, healthcare, and foreign policy. Independent and swing voters are expected to play a critical role in determining the outcome, as polling indicates a competitive election with no clear frontrunner. The upcoming debates and campaign strategies are likely to influence voter preferences in the final stretch.

USA Elections 2024: What Do The Latest Popularity Polls Say?

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio met for the first time and only scheduled vice presidential debate. The first US vice-presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz centered around key issues like abortion and immigration. Watch in for more details!

U.S. Voters React To Vice Presidential Debate | World News | WION Pulse

Italian land artist Dario Gambarin prepared for the upcoming U.S. election by creating a massive portrait of Democratic Presidential Nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in a farm field.

Italian Artist Creates 'Land Portrait' Of Kamala Harris Ahead of U.S. Elections

As the US elections intensify, Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are turning their focus to the battleground state of North Carolina. Both candidates view the state as pivotal in securing electoral victory, with rallies, speeches, and campaign efforts ramping up. North Carolina's diverse electorate is expected to play a key role in the outcome, making it a hotspot for political activity as the race for the White House heats up.

US Elections: Trump and Harris Set Sights On North Carolina As Battle Heats Up | WION Race To Power

The Teamsters Union has announced that it will not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. This decision comes as the union emphasizes the need to prioritize the interests of its members over political affiliations. With over 1.4 million members, the Teamsters’ stance could significantly impact the race.

Teamsters Union Declines To Endorse Harris or Trump In Upcoming U.S. Election

Asian stocks dropped as investors grew anxious about economic growth ahead of upcoming U.S. inflation data and potential market reactions to the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. How will these events shape the global markets?

Asian stocks dip amid growing economic concerns

In trying to analyse events such as the failed assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, it is best to look not just at what happened but the circumstances in which it did. As conspiracy theories float amid a bitter contest between Republican Trump and incumbent Democrat President Joe Biden, what is clearly evident is that we have a perfect storm of sorts in US politics -- and by extension, global politics.&nbsp;

A perfect storm, idiomatically speaking, refers to a particularly bad situation caused by a combination of unfavourable circumstances. That description now fits the Democrats more than the Republicans but those swearing by Biden (they are a dwindling but loud number) will wave their flags to say the very assassination attempt shows what is wrong with an America ruled by Republicans, in which there is no control on a gun culture in which random individuals, including depressed or deranged schoolkids, go on trigger-happy sprees.&nbsp;

But that would be a nuance rather than an obvious truth in the backdrop of what is going on in the United States. If the political assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in India are any indication, Trump's Republicans may be heading for a win aided by what we might call a sympathy wave though that description does not seem to fit Trump, the Republicans or the US. But Trump certainly has a trump card of sorts to play as his clenched fist and a blood-smeared face is an image bound to pull in fence-sitters in the November 5 elections.&nbsp;

Given that conspiracy theories are floating around still on who was behind Lee Harvey Oswald, the emotionally disturbed US Marine veteran who killed President John F. Kennedy in 1963, stories and rumours on Thomas Mathew Crooks, who was killed by security men after the 20-year-old's attempt to kill Trump, are not likely to die out anytime soon. This is more so as everything gets connected with the elections. Things get complicated by the fact that Crooks has been a registered Republican though he contributed $15 once to a progressive group.

What matters more than campaign noises, however, is the fact that the contest is between a bumbling Biden and a tenacious Trump.&nbsp;

If strong leadership, especially in a presidential system like that of the US, is a factor, the Republican candidate towers over his rival, despite his conviction in a hush money scandal involving a porn star and a series of past financial irregularities in his career as a real estate tycoon. But he seems at this point to have a teflon coating added to his notoriously thick skin. Former US president Ronald Reagan was called the "Teflon President" because criticism or blame never seemed to stick on him. Like Trump, he also survived an assassination attempt. Trump has now inherited Reagan's teflon image, and the halo of victimhood may add another layer that stops political bullets.&nbsp;

Contrast him with Biden, who has been the subject of calls to quit the presidential race by his most avowed supporters including big Hollywood stars. Biden's skin is as thick as that of Trump as he has been rejecting such calls, even as he is being virtually laughed out of the race by Internet memes and real stories of his famous forgetfulness.

The Trump assassination bid happened even as the world was bantering over Biden&nbsp;mistakenly referring to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Putin. It doesn't get more embarrassing for a US prez to refer to a head of state at war by the name of the one he is at war with.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Trump rally shooting: Former President shot at Pennsylvania rally

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" data-gtm-yt-inspected-19="true" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-rally-shooting-former-president-shot-at-pennsylvania-rally-740607/embed" width="560"></iframe>

The interesting irony in all is that the US economy is doing rather well, thank you. The Democrats rode to power in 1992 under ex-president Bill Clinton with one of the catchy campaign phrases used by a strategist&nbsp;being "It is the economy, stupid."&nbsp;

"It is NOT the economy, stupid" may well be the right theme for the Democrats as jobs run high. Inflation is an issue for those chasing food and petrol prices but is on the lower side in the eyes of professional market economists. Pet Republican issues such as illegal immigration, restricted rights to abortion may look stronger to voters.&nbsp;

Democrats would hit hard on gun control but that would be a valiant attempt to piggyback on rivals. If high-profile leadership muscle comes into the picture, Biden looks profoundly weak, to say the least.&nbsp;

Overall, I would expect a further decline of the US as a superpower, unless the Democrats throw some unexpected punch with a change in candidate or something.&nbsp;

The US can hardly be expected to show some superpower muscle when its internal troubles are making it the Divided States of America. Internal instability in the US is a matter of global concern.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/trump-assassination-attempt-it-didnt-kill-him-but-will-it-make-him-stronger-740696">Also read |&nbsp;Trump assassination attempt: It didn't kill him, but will it make him stronger?</a>

Whether it is a prolonged war in Ukraine or the crisis in Gaza, international diplomacy is in a state of drift and that may worsen if the US does not show strong, ethical global leadership. Elections in France and the UK have also thrown up verdicts that show that internal factors may overpower external concerns in the West as a whole.&nbsp;

Trump is essentially an inward-looking politician, with a clear bias for his abrasive home agenda and old-fashioned white conservatism. He does not have superpower pretense unless it comes to strutting gestures that aid his flashy style or deal-making for American business.&nbsp;

That should be worrying for those who expect the US to play a judicious, stabilising role as a superpower, a label that looks increasingly doubtful. The coming months are going to be an anxious wait-and-watch period for those watching China's expanding footprint and expecting a healthy geopolitical balance.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)&nbsp;

In trying to analyse events such as the failed assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, it is best to look not just at what happened but the circumstances in which it did.

In trying to analyse events such as the failed assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, it is best to look not just at what happened but the circumstances in which it did. As conspiracy theories float amid a bitter contest between Republican Trump and incumbent Democrat President Joe Biden, what is clearly evident is that we have a perfect storm of sorts in US politics -- and by extension, global politics. A perfect storm, idiomatically speaking, refers to a particularly bad situation caused by a combination of unfavourable circumstances. That description now fits the Democrats more than the Republicans but those swearing by Biden (they are a dwindling but loud number) will wave their flags to say the very assassination attempt shows what is wrong with an America ruled by Republicans, in which there is no control on a gun culture in which random individuals, including depressed or deranged schoolkids, go on trigger-happy sprees. But that would be a nuance rather than an obvious truth in the backdrop of what is going on in the United States. If the political assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in India are any indication, Trump's Republicans may be heading for a win aided by what we might call a sympathy wave though that description does not seem to fit Trump, the Republicans or the US. But Trump certainly has a trump card of sorts to play as his clenched fist and a blood-smeared face is an image bound to pull in fence-sitters in the November 5 elections. Given that conspiracy theories are floating around still on who was behind Lee Harvey Oswald, the emotionally disturbed US Marine veteran who killed President John F. Kennedy in 1963, stories and rumours on Thomas Mathew Crooks, who was killed by security men after the 20-year-old's attempt to kill Trump, are not likely to die out anytime soon. This is more so as everything gets connected with the elections. Things get complicated by the fact that Crooks has been a registered Republican though he contributed $15 once to a progressive group. What matters more than campaign noises, however, is the fact that the contest is between a bumbling Biden and a tenacious Trump. If strong leadership, especially in a presidential system like that of the US, is a factor, the Republican candidate towers over his rival, despite his conviction in a hush money scandal involving a porn star and a series of past financial irregularities in his career as a real estate tycoon. But he seems at this point to have a teflon coating added to his notoriously thick skin. Former US president Ronald Reagan was called the "Teflon President" because criticism or blame never seemed to stick on him. Like Trump, he also survived an assassination attempt. Trump has now inherited Reagan's teflon image, and the halo of victimhood may add another layer that stops political bullets. Contrast him with Biden, who has been the subject of calls to quit the presidential race by his most avowed supporters including big Hollywood stars. Biden's skin is as thick as that of Trump as he has been rejecting such calls, even as he is being virtually laughed out of the race by Internet memes and real stories of his famous forgetfulness. The Trump assassination bid happened even as the world was bantering over Biden mistakenly referring to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Putin. It doesn't get more embarrassing for a US prez to refer to a head of state at war by the name of the one he is at war with. WATCH | Trump rally shooting: Former President shot at Pennsylvania rally The interesting irony in all is that the US economy is doing rather well, thank you. The Democrats rode to power in 1992 under ex-president Bill Clinton with one of the catchy campaign phrases used by a strategist being "It is the economy, stupid." "It is NOT the economy, stupid" may well be the right theme for the Democrats as jobs run high. Inflation is an issue for those chasing food and petrol prices but is on the lower side in the eyes of professional market economists. Pet Republican issues such as illegal immigration, restricted rights to abortion may look stronger to voters. Democrats would hit hard on gun control but that would be a valiant attempt to piggyback on rivals. If high-profile leadership muscle comes into the picture, Biden looks profoundly weak, to say the least. Overall, I would expect a further decline of the US as a superpower, unless the Democrats throw some unexpected punch with a change in candidate or something. The US can hardly be expected to show some superpower muscle when its internal troubles are making it the Divided States of America. Internal instability in the US is a matter of global concern. Also read | Trump assassination attempt: It didn't kill him, but will it make him stronger? Whether it is a prolonged war in Ukraine or the crisis in Gaza, international diplomacy is in a state of drift and that may worsen if the US does not show strong, ethical global leadership. Elections in France and the UK have also thrown up verdicts that show that internal factors may overpower external concerns in the West as a whole. Trump is essentially an inward-looking politician, with a clear bias for his abrasive home agenda and old-fashioned white conservatism. He does not have superpower pretense unless it comes to strutting gestures that aid his flashy style or deal-making for American business. That should be worrying for those who expect the US to play a judicious, stabilising role as a superpower, a label that looks increasingly doubtful. The coming months are going to be an anxious wait-and-watch period for those watching China's expanding footprint and expecting a healthy geopolitical balance. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Decoding the Trump assassination bid: Why the world should worry about a Divided States of America

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, had pointed his&nbsp;AR-style rifle at a local law enforcement officer who climbed the roof. The officer, threatened by Crooks, retreated down the ladder and moments later, Trump was shot, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

Since the incident, numerous witnesses have come forward and claimed that they informed the US Secret Service officials and other local authorities about the presence of a gunman on the roof of a building near the rally.&nbsp;

“We noticed the guy crawling, bear-crawling, up the roof of the building beside us, 50ft away from us,” one of the witnesses told BBC.

Despite identifying the rooftop as a potentially vulnerable point in the security detail of the former president, the Secret Service did not act in time.&nbsp;

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel, Pennsylvania. He was neutralised by the United States Secret Service agents

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-suspected-trump-rally-shooter-was-a-quiet-lonely-bullied-child-in-school-reports-740885" target="_blank">Watch |&nbsp;US: Suspected Trump rally shooter was a 'quiet', 'lonely' &amp; 'bullied' child in school: Reports</a>

<h2><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" data-gtm-yt-inspected-17="true" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-suspected-trump-rally-shooter-was-a-quiet-lonely-bullied-child-in-school-reports-740885/embed" width="560"></iframe></h2>

<h2>FBI and Secret Service</h2>

Notably, FBI officials seemingly threw the Secret Service under the bus, post the failed assassination bid.&nbsp;

“It is surprising but, to get all the details of that will come out later in the investigation," said&nbsp;Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office when quizzed he was surprised at the number of shots.

"The Secret Service really needs to answer that question,” Rojek stated, adding that the FBI was only there to support the Secret Service who were in charge of securing the scene.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/witnesses-warned-trumps-security-about-shooter-minutes-before-shots-were-fired-reports-740874">Also read |&nbsp;Witnesses warned Trump's security about shooter minutes before shots were fired: Reports</a>

While the FBI threw Secret Service to the wolves,&nbsp;Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens came to their rescue.&nbsp;

“In their defence, what I would want to say is it is incredibly difficult to have a venue open to the public and secure that against any possible threat against a determined attacker, that’s a huge lift to try and do it,” Bivens told reporters.

Meanwhile, FBI stated that the incident would be&nbsp;investigated as a potential act of "domestic terrorism".&nbsp;Also known as home-grown terrorism, it is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims.

(With inputs from agencies)

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, had pointed his AR-style rifle at a local law enforcement officer who climbed the roof.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, had pointed his AR-style rifle at a local law enforcement officer who climbed the roof. The officer, threatened by Crooks, retreated down the ladder and moments later, Trump was shot, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Since the incident, numerous witnesses have come forward and claimed that they informed the US Secret Service officials and other local authorities about the presence of a gunman on the roof of a building near the rally. “We noticed the guy crawling, bear-crawling, up the roof of the building beside us, 50ft away from us,” one of the witnesses told BBC. Despite identifying the rooftop as a potentially vulnerable point in the security detail of the former president, the Secret Service did not act in time. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel, Pennsylvania. He was neutralised by the United States Secret Service agents Watch | US: Suspected Trump rally shooter was a 'quiet', 'lonely' & 'bullied' child in school: Reports FBI and Secret Service Notably, FBI officials seemingly threw the Secret Service under the bus, post the failed assassination bid. “It is surprising but, to get all the details of that will come out later in the investigation," said Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office when quizzed he was surprised at the number of shots. "The Secret Service really needs to answer that question,” Rojek stated, adding that the FBI was only there to support the Secret Service who were in charge of securing the scene. Also read | Witnesses warned Trump's security about shooter minutes before shots were fired: Reports While the FBI threw Secret Service to the wolves, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens came to their rescue. “In their defence, what I would want to say is it is incredibly difficult to have a venue open to the public and secure that against any possible threat against a determined attacker, that’s a huge lift to try and do it,” Bivens told reporters. Meanwhile, FBI stated that the incident would be investigated as a potential act of "domestic terrorism". Also known as home-grown terrorism, it is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump rally shooting: Local officer retreated from roof after Thomas Crooks pointed rifle at him - Report

US election 2020: US election 2020: Donald Trump and Joe Biden continue to fight it out as votes are counted across the United States, including in many key states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. | Live election updates <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-results-live-result-updates-donald-trump-joe-biden-votes-tally-how-to-follow-the-2020-us-election-results-from-india-donald-trump-joe-biden-president-white-house-340694">here</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-voters-in-battleground-arizona-fear-their-votes-are-invalid-due-to-sharpie-pens-is-sharpiegate-real-340659" hreflang="en">Trump voters in battleground Arizona fear their votes are invalid due to Sharpie pens. Is 'Sharpiegate' real?</a>

On Wednesday, former American Vice President and Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden broke the record for receiving the highest votes ever for a presidential candidate in the history of US politics.

US election 2020: Biden gets over 70 million votes

By 2.30 PM ET, Biden had clocked in over 70.8 million votes, as per results put together by Decision Desk HQ. Biden broke Obama’s record, who had received 69,456,897 votes in 2008.

Currently, the ballots are being counted across the country, especially in battleground states. As of now, no candidate has secured 270 electoral votes, which are necessary to win the elections.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-trump-demands-vote-count-to-stop-in-battleground-states-counteveryvote-trends-340625" hreflang="en">As Trump demands vote count to stop in battleground states, #CountEveryVote trends</a>

Most polls claimed that Biden would win the elections, but with both the candidates fighting neck-and-neck, the results remain hard to predict.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-election-cliffhanger-captivates-world-americas-allies-rivals-watch-for-whats-next-340626/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As of now, Biden is leading the incumbent president Donald Trump by 3 million votes, and is expected to win the popular vote.

In 2016 too, Trump had lost popular votes to Hillary Clinton by 3 million. However, he did beat his 2016 numbers, whereby he had secured 62,980,160 votes. This time, he has clocked in 68 million votes.

US election 2020: Trump claims victory

Trump&nbsp;declared his victory before the official count ended, while Joe Biden announced that he will emerge victorious after all the votes are accounted for.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-can-united-states-supreme-court-be-the-final-arbiter-340619" hreflang="en">US election 2020: Can United States Supreme Court be the final arbiter?</a>

US president Trump had recently called on the counting to stop, while earlier claiming that the results should be declared on the same day as the election - November 3. He also claimed that due to ongoing counting, chances of voting fraud in the elections are high.

In key states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, vote counting is underway. And a ruling by a top court in Pennsylvania had recently allowed counting mail-in ballots that arrive upto 3 days after the election date, something Trump has vowed to challenge.

US election 2020: US election 2020: Donald Trump and Joe Biden continue to fight it out as votes are counted across the United States, including in many key states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

US election 2020: US election 2020: Donald Trump and Joe Biden continue to fight it out as votes are counted across the United States, including in many key states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. | Live election updates here Also read: Trump voters in battleground Arizona fear their votes are invalid due to Sharpie pens. Is 'Sharpiegate' real? On Wednesday, former American Vice President and Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden broke the record for receiving the highest votes ever for a presidential candidate in the history of US politics. US election 2020: Biden gets over 70 million votes By 2.30 PM ET, Biden had clocked in over 70.8 million votes, as per results put together by Decision Desk HQ. Biden broke Obama’s record, who had received 69,456,897 votes in 2008. Currently, the ballots are being counted across the country, especially in battleground states. As of now, no candidate has secured 270 electoral votes, which are necessary to win the elections. Also read: As Trump demands vote count to stop in battleground states, #CountEveryVote trends Most polls claimed that Biden would win the elections, but with both the candidates fighting neck-and-neck, the results remain hard to predict. As of now, Biden is leading the incumbent president Donald Trump by 3 million votes, and is expected to win the popular vote. In 2016 too, Trump had lost popular votes to Hillary Clinton by 3 million. However, he did beat his 2016 numbers, whereby he had secured 62,980,160 votes. This time, he has clocked in 68 million votes. US election 2020: Trump claims victory Trump declared his victory before the official count ended, while Joe Biden announced that he will emerge victorious after all the votes are accounted for. Also read: US election 2020: Can United States Supreme Court be the final arbiter? US president Trump had recently called on the counting to stop, while earlier claiming that the results should be declared on the same day as the election - November 3. He also claimed that due to ongoing counting, chances of voting fraud in the elections are high. In key states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, vote counting is underway. And a ruling by a top court in Pennsylvania had recently allowed counting mail-in ballots that arrive upto 3 days after the election date, something Trump has vowed to challenge.

Joe Biden breaks Obama's record, amasses most votes in US election history

Joe Biden holds a significant lead in the pivotal states of Michigan and Wisconsin, with President Donald Trump so far failing to retain the overwhelming advantage he enjoyed among white voters there in 2016, according to surveys from The New York Times and Siena College on Monday.

Overall, Biden led Trump by 8 percentage points in Michigan, 48% to 40%, among likely voters. His lead in Wisconsin was slightly larger, 51% to 41%.

The new results, along with recent Times/Siena surveys from elsewhere in the Northern battlegrounds, suggest that the president has not yet managed to reassemble his winning coalition across the region. He faces modest but significant defections among white and independent voters, while facing a groundswell of opposition from those who voted for a minor-party candidate or didn’t vote at all in 2016.

The president’s path to reelection is narrow if he doesn’t win either Wisconsin or Michigan. If Biden puts those two states in his column, along with the states carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016, he will hold 258 electoral votes, putting him on the doorstep of the 270 needed to win.

Nonetheless, the Trump campaign appears to recognize that the two states no longer represent his likeliest path to reelection. Over the past month, the campaign has reduced its television ad spending in the two states in favor of an apparent push to sweep Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania, where Times/Siena surveys conducted since the first debate show the president trailing by somewhat narrower but still significant 5-to-8-point margins.

Four years ago, Trump’s strength among white voters without a college degree helped him breach the so-called blue wall of traditionally Democratic Northern battleground states, including Michigan and Wisconsin. The new surveys show him well short of matching 2016 levels of support among white voters, leaving the president with a daunting deficit with just three weeks until the election.

Overall, Biden leads by 8 points among white voters in Wisconsin and trails by just 1 percentage point among white voters in Michigan.

While Trump’s surprising victory in 2016 lent him an aura of political invincibility, an Upshot analysis of more than 5,000 respondents to Times/Siena surveys in the Northern battleground states suggests that his winning coalition was always a fragile one. The president’s margin of victory was extremely narrow, and he failed to reach 50% of the vote in each of the decisive states. He also did so against an unusually unpopular opponent, Clinton.

In the years after her defeat, Democrats agonized over whether their best path to the presidency was to lure back the white, working-class voters who’d defected to the president or to increase turnout among Democratic voters who may have stayed home or supported minor-party candidates like Jill Stein. The Times/Siena surveys suggest that Biden is succeeding on both fronts, by at once peeling off a modest but crucial sliver of the president’s former supporters and benefiting from a significant advantage among voters who either backed a minor-party candidate four years ago or didn’t vote at all.

Overall, recent Times/Siena respondents in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio indicate that they backed Trump by a 2.6-point margin in 2016, the same as his actual 2.6-point margin of victory across the Northern battlegrounds. Now, they back Biden across all six states.

How the Northern Battlegrounds Have Gone From Trump +3 to Biden +6

People who have switched sides since 2016 make up less than 4% of registered voters. But they effectively pack twice the punch of other voters, as they have both deducted a vote from their former preferred candidate and added one to the candidate they now support. Alone, these switches would be enough to give Biden a fairly comfortable victory, even without any change in the composition of the electorate or in the attitudes of voters who back a minor-party candidate.

Although the sample is small, the president’s Midwestern defectors appear to be surprisingly representative of his supporters overall, at least demographically. They are only slightly likelier to be women, college graduates or suburbanites.

Biden also holds a significant lead among respondents who say they backed a minor-party candidate, like Gary Johnson or Stein.

Biden’s lead is largest among the former supporters of Stein, who say they back him, 59% to 9%.

Biden’s lead among the former supporters of Johnson is smaller, 38% to 14%, with this year’s Libertarian nominee, Jo Jorgensen, winning 29% of their support.

Biden’s lead would expand further to 7 points if registered voters who didn’t vote in 2016 turned out. Of course, not everyone will vote in the end, but he holds a 48% to 34% lead among this group.

Put it together, and Biden leads by 6 points across the Midwestern battlegrounds, a significant improvement over Clinton’s nearly 3-point deficit across the region four years ago. It’s almost exactly the same as Barack Obama’s 6-point victory in the same states in 2012.

But while the results seem to represent a restoration of the traditional Democratic coalition in the Midwest, a closer analysis reveals that the president’s breakthrough victory in the region four years ago has had a lasting effect on the region’s partisan loyalties and political geography.

Unlike in 2012, self-identified Republicans now outnumber Democrats in Times/Siena polls of Wisconsin, Michigan and even Pennsylvania, where the Democratic registration advantage remains significant but has dwindled in recent months.

Instead, Biden leads with an overwhelming advantage among independent voters, who back him by 20 percentage points in both states.

And although Biden’s gains among white voters are broad, spanning both those with and without a college degree, he fares far better than Obama did among white college graduates, while faring worse among those without a four-year degree. As a result, Biden still trails narrowly in the precincts that flipped from Obama to Trump, while holding an overwhelming advantage in the smaller number of predominantly suburban precincts that backed Mitt Romney in 2012 and then supported Clinton in 2016.

In Michigan, Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, faces a surprisingly strong challenge from John James, a graduate of West Point who is considered one of the Republicans’ top recruits of the cycle. Peters leads by just 1 percentage point, 43% to 42% among likely voters, a significant narrowing of the race since a Times/Siena survey in June that found Peters leading, 41% to 31%.

The relatively high number of undecided voters reflects the relatively low profile of the two candidates. Around 20% of voters do not have an opinion on either of them. James’ favorability ratings have increased to 45% favorable versus 35% unfavorable, up from 36% favorable and 29% unfavorable in the June survey. Part of Peters’ weakness is that he has thus far failed to match Biden’s tallies among nonwhite voters, who disproportionately remain undecided. It remains to be seen whether James, who is Black, will ultimately make significant inroads among these voters.

A closely fought race in Michigan complicates the Democratic path to flipping control of the Senate, which has looked increasingly plausible as several Senate Republican incumbents have fared worse than the president in surveys. Yet here it is the incumbent Democrat faring worse than Biden, and a Republican win in Michigan would force Democrats to pick up a win in a state that Trump won comfortably in 2016, like Iowa or Montana, to win Senate control.

Public opinion polls have been remarkably stable this year, through the pandemic, the economic crisis and social unrest. The surveys of Wisconsin and Michigan were conducted during another tumultuous week in the campaign, and they offered little indication that any of the news had worked to the president’s favor.

The surveys began after Trump was released from the hospital, and there was no immediate indication that his political standing recovered along with his health. Most voters in Wisconsin and Michigan expected that the president would recover quickly from the illness, echoing findings from Times/Siena surveys fielded while he was hospitalized.

The president did not appear poised to benefit from the public’s sympathy; by at least a 2-1 margin in both states, voters said the president did not take adequate precautions to protect against the coronavirus.

The survey in Wisconsin was conducted entirely after the vice-presidential debate, and attitudes about it fell along predictable partisan lines. Biden’s supporters said Sen. Kamala Harris won, 73% to 3%, while Trump’s supporters said Vice President Mike Pence won by a nearly identical margin of 74% to 2%. Overall, voters thought Harris defeated Pence in the debate, 40% to 33%, with her advantage appearing to reflect little more than Biden’s overall advantage in the presidential race.

The Wisconsin survey was also conducted entirely after the president announced he would not participate in the virtual town hall debate proposed by the presidential debate commission. Wisconsin voters said they supported the proposed virtual town hall format, 58% to 34%, and said Trump should have decided to participate in the debate, 70% to 21%.

This week, the president might be on firmer political ground; the confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court have begun. A plurality of voters in both states said they supported her nomination and thought the Senate should act on it before the election.

Joe Biden holds a significant lead in the pivotal states of Michigan and Wisconsin, with President Donald Trump so far failing to retain the overwhelming advantage he enjoyed among white voters there in 2016, according to surveys from The New York Times and Siena College on Monday.

Joe Biden holds a significant lead in the pivotal states of Michigan and Wisconsin, with President Donald Trump so far failing to retain the overwhelming advantage he enjoyed among white voters there in 2016, according to surveys from The New York Times and Siena College on Monday. Overall, Biden led Trump by 8 percentage points in Michigan, 48% to 40%, among likely voters. His lead in Wisconsin was slightly larger, 51% to 41%. The new results, along with recent Times/Siena surveys from elsewhere in the Northern battlegrounds, suggest that the president has not yet managed to reassemble his winning coalition across the region. He faces modest but significant defections among white and independent voters, while facing a groundswell of opposition from those who voted for a minor-party candidate or didn’t vote at all in 2016. The president’s path to reelection is narrow if he doesn’t win either Wisconsin or Michigan. If Biden puts those two states in his column, along with the states carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016, he will hold 258 electoral votes, putting him on the doorstep of the 270 needed to win. Nonetheless, the Trump campaign appears to recognize that the two states no longer represent his likeliest path to reelection. Over the past month, the campaign has reduced its television ad spending in the two states in favor of an apparent push to sweep Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania, where Times/Siena surveys conducted since the first debate show the president trailing by somewhat narrower but still significant 5-to-8-point margins. Four years ago, Trump’s strength among white voters without a college degree helped him breach the so-called blue wall of traditionally Democratic Northern battleground states, including Michigan and Wisconsin. The new surveys show him well short of matching 2016 levels of support among white voters, leaving the president with a daunting deficit with just three weeks until the election. Overall, Biden leads by 8 points among white voters in Wisconsin and trails by just 1 percentage point among white voters in Michigan. While Trump’s surprising victory in 2016 lent him an aura of political invincibility, an Upshot analysis of more than 5,000 respondents to Times/Siena surveys in the Northern battleground states suggests that his winning coalition was always a fragile one. The president’s margin of victory was extremely narrow, and he failed to reach 50% of the vote in each of the decisive states. He also did so against an unusually unpopular opponent, Clinton. In the years after her defeat, Democrats agonized over whether their best path to the presidency was to lure back the white, working-class voters who’d defected to the president or to increase turnout among Democratic voters who may have stayed home or supported minor-party candidates like Jill Stein. The Times/Siena surveys suggest that Biden is succeeding on both fronts, by at once peeling off a modest but crucial sliver of the president’s former supporters and benefiting from a significant advantage among voters who either backed a minor-party candidate four years ago or didn’t vote at all. Overall, recent Times/Siena respondents in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio indicate that they backed Trump by a 2.6-point margin in 2016, the same as his actual 2.6-point margin of victory across the Northern battlegrounds. Now, they back Biden across all six states. How the Northern Battlegrounds Have Gone From Trump +3 to Biden +6 People who have switched sides since 2016 make up less than 4% of registered voters. But they effectively pack twice the punch of other voters, as they have both deducted a vote from their former preferred candidate and added one to the candidate they now support. Alone, these switches would be enough to give Biden a fairly comfortable victory, even without any change in the composition of the electorate or in the attitudes of voters who back a minor-party candidate. Although the sample is small, the president’s Midwestern defectors appear to be surprisingly representative of his supporters overall, at least demographically. They are only slightly likelier to be women, college graduates or suburbanites. Biden also holds a significant lead among respondents who say they backed a minor-party candidate, like Gary Johnson or Stein. Biden’s lead is largest among the former supporters of Stein, who say they back him, 59% to 9%. Biden’s lead among the former supporters of Johnson is smaller, 38% to 14%, with this year’s Libertarian nominee, Jo Jorgensen, winning 29% of their support. Biden’s lead would expand further to 7 points if registered voters who didn’t vote in 2016 turned out. Of course, not everyone will vote in the end, but he holds a 48% to 34% lead among this group. Put it together, and Biden leads by 6 points across the Midwestern battlegrounds, a significant improvement over Clinton’s nearly 3-point deficit across the region four years ago. It’s almost exactly the same as Barack Obama’s 6-point victory in the same states in 2012. But while the results seem to represent a restoration of the traditional Democratic coalition in the Midwest, a closer analysis reveals that the president’s breakthrough victory in the region four years ago has had a lasting effect on the region’s partisan loyalties and political geography. Unlike in 2012, self-identified Republicans now outnumber Democrats in Times/Siena polls of Wisconsin, Michigan and even Pennsylvania, where the Democratic registration advantage remains significant but has dwindled in recent months. Instead, Biden leads with an overwhelming advantage among independent voters, who back him by 20 percentage points in both states. And although Biden’s gains among white voters are broad, spanning both those with and without a college degree, he fares far better than Obama did among white college graduates, while faring worse among those without a four-year degree. As a result, Biden still trails narrowly in the precincts that flipped from Obama to Trump, while holding an overwhelming advantage in the smaller number of predominantly suburban precincts that backed Mitt Romney in 2012 and then supported Clinton in 2016. In Michigan, Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, faces a surprisingly strong challenge from John James, a graduate of West Point who is considered one of the Republicans’ top recruits of the cycle. Peters leads by just 1 percentage point, 43% to 42% among likely voters, a significant narrowing of the race since a Times/Siena survey in June that found Peters leading, 41% to 31%. The relatively high number of undecided voters reflects the relatively low profile of the two candidates. Around 20% of voters do not have an opinion on either of them. James’ favorability ratings have increased to 45% favorable versus 35% unfavorable, up from 36% favorable and 29% unfavorable in the June survey. Part of Peters’ weakness is that he has thus far failed to match Biden’s tallies among nonwhite voters, who disproportionately remain undecided. It remains to be seen whether James, who is Black, will ultimately make significant inroads among these voters. A closely fought race in Michigan complicates the Democratic path to flipping control of the Senate, which has looked increasingly plausible as several Senate Republican incumbents have fared worse than the president in surveys. Yet here it is the incumbent Democrat faring worse than Biden, and a Republican win in Michigan would force Democrats to pick up a win in a state that Trump won comfortably in 2016, like Iowa or Montana, to win Senate control. Public opinion polls have been remarkably stable this year, through the pandemic, the economic crisis and social unrest. The surveys of Wisconsin and Michigan were conducted during another tumultuous week in the campaign, and they offered little indication that any of the news had worked to the president’s favor. The surveys began after Trump was released from the hospital, and there was no immediate indication that his political standing recovered along with his health. Most voters in Wisconsin and Michigan expected that the president would recover quickly from the illness, echoing findings from Times/Siena surveys fielded while he was hospitalized. The president did not appear poised to benefit from the public’s sympathy; by at least a 2-1 margin in both states, voters said the president did not take adequate precautions to protect against the coronavirus. The survey in Wisconsin was conducted entirely after the vice-presidential debate, and attitudes about it fell along predictable partisan lines. Biden’s supporters said Sen. Kamala Harris won, 73% to 3%, while Trump’s supporters said Vice President Mike Pence won by a nearly identical margin of 74% to 2%. Overall, voters thought Harris defeated Pence in the debate, 40% to 33%, with her advantage appearing to reflect little more than Biden’s overall advantage in the presidential race. The Wisconsin survey was also conducted entirely after the president announced he would not participate in the virtual town hall debate proposed by the presidential debate commission. Wisconsin voters said they supported the proposed virtual town hall format, 58% to 34%, and said Trump should have decided to participate in the debate, 70% to 21%. This week, the president might be on firmer political ground; the confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court have begun. A plurality of voters in both states said they supported her nomination and thought the Senate should act on it before the election.

Trump defectors help Biden build leads in Wisconsin and Michigan

Lisa Murkowski, Republican Party Senator from Alaska said on Sunday that she will not support US President Donald Trump's efforts to appoint a Supreme Court judge before US Presidential Elections due on November 3. Murkowski became second Senator to oppose the efforts after Susan Collins of Maine.

“For weeks, I have stated that I would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election. Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed,” Murkowski said in a statement.

The position at the Supreme Court is vacant after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday. The liberal justice was 87 years old.

Lisa Murkowski said in her statement that she had opposed such a move even in 2016 when a nomination to fill a vacancy was taken up 8 months before Presidential Elections. She said that the window was even smaller this time around.

“I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice Scalia,” she added. “We are now even closer to the 2020 election – less than two months out – and I believe the same standard must apply. ”

Murkowski's stand has brought Donald Trump's plans in jeopardy. Trump and Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are trying to fill the position in Supreme Court but the plan may get derailed if more than 3 senators oppose the move. Currently, Republican Party has a majority of 53 in the Senate.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-slap-sanctions-on-over-two-dozen-targets-tied-to-iran-arms-328984">US to slap sanctions on over two dozen targets tied to Iran arms</a>

All eyes are now on Mitt Romney, the Senator who is opposed to Donald Trump. Romney was Republican Party's presidential candidate in the year 2012.

He and Donald Trump are not considered to share good equation and Romney had even voted in support of impeachment against Trump.

Lisa Murkowski, Republican Party Senator from Alaska said on Sunday that she will not support US President Donald Trump's efforts to appoint a Supreme Court judge before US Presidential Elections due on November 3.

Lisa Murkowski, Republican Party Senator from Alaska said on Sunday that she will not support US President Donald Trump's efforts to appoint a Supreme Court judge before US Presidential Elections due on November 3. Murkowski became second Senator to oppose the efforts after Susan Collins of Maine. “For weeks, I have stated that I would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election. Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed,” Murkowski said in a statement. The position at the Supreme Court is vacant after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday. The liberal justice was 87 years old. Lisa Murkowski said in her statement that she had opposed such a move even in 2016 when a nomination to fill a vacancy was taken up 8 months before Presidential Elections. She said that the window was even smaller this time around. “I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice Scalia,” she added. “We are now even closer to the 2020 election – less than two months out – and I believe the same standard must apply. ” Murkowski's stand has brought Donald Trump's plans in jeopardy. Trump and Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are trying to fill the position in Supreme Court but the plan may get derailed if more than 3 senators oppose the move. Currently, Republican Party has a majority of 53 in the Senate. Also Read | US to slap sanctions on over two dozen targets tied to Iran arms All eyes are now on Mitt Romney, the Senator who is opposed to Donald Trump. Romney was Republican Party's presidential candidate in the year 2012. He and Donald Trump are not considered to share good equation and Romney had even voted in support of impeachment against Trump.

Lisa Murkowski 2nd GOP Senator against Trump's efforts to appoint judge before elections

With just 97 days left, The U.S. Presidential race is heating up. Who is America going to vote for? Joe Biden or Donald Trump? WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report on who stands where.

Gravitas: Biden or Trump, Who will America vote for?

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