«I already have news of serious fraud»

In 2016, Donald Trump awaited the election results in the skyscraper that bears his name on 56th Street in Manhattan. In 2020, as president, he awaited the results at the White House, gathering 400 guests in the East Room, in defiance of Covid no-gathering rules. Since then something important has changed: Donald Trump moved his residence from New York to Florida, and last night he divided his time between the Mar-a-Lago villa, the one that during his presidency he had nicknamed “the White House of ‘winter,” and the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

THE RECEPTION

With dinners and cocktails, the former president entertained around 500 people, including collaborators, friends and supporters at the Convention Center, the conference center which for the occasion was surrounded by a high, impassable black railing. But he dedicated a private dinner in his private quarters to his family and a small group of VIPs, the mega financiers who supported him in these two years of election campaign. The presence of Elon Musk is expected in the list of intimates, who in recent weeks has been one of Trump’s most generous and present supporters. However, the campaign did not disclose the names of those present. And the evening’s coverage was severely curtailed after a group of journalists had their credentials withdrawn for writing critical articles about the former president. Among those excluded were correspondents from Politico, Axios, Puck, Voice of America and Mother Jones. Trump had arrived in Miami at five in the morning, after ending his campaign in the middle of the night with a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

AT THE SEAT

He went to vote in person, accompanied by Melania, around 10 in the morning. He was wearing his usual blue jacket and red Maga cap, but he had given up the tie and had the top button of his shirt unbuttoned. Melania sported an elegant black midi dress with tiny polka dots, and had her face covered by large sunglasses. “We hope that by 10pm we will have results – commented the former president as he left the polling station – It’s a scandal that we have to wait days.” The question from journalists was inevitable, after Trump for years refused to accept the result of the 2020 elections: “Will he accept the result of the vote?”. “If I lose an election, and it’s a fair election, I’ll be the first to acknowledge it,” he responded. Although Republicans have already filed numerous local complaints over alleged irregularities, Trump added: “So far I think it’s been fair.” Only to then denounce alleged electoral fraud in two key states on his Truth social network in the evening. «I hear rumors of mega frauds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (news later denied to CNN by the local police, ed.). Large police force in Detroit, Michigan.”

And to reporters who asked him if he will tell his fans not to be violent (referring to the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021), he replied: «I don’t have to tell them that there will be no violence. My supporters don’t believe in violence.” Shortly after voting, perhaps impressed by the queue he had seen at the polling station, he launched an encouragement to his voters on his social network, Truth, then repeated in a video: «Republicans, we are doing very well. Stay in line. Don’t leave the queue, vote! Make sure you go and vote. Tonight we will have a great victory.”

Covering the former president’s election night live was Tucker Carlson, the former Fox anchor, who now broadcasts from X or his independent streaming platform, “Tucker Carlson Network.” Carlson is one of Trump’s loyalists, who within hours of the vote had also received the endorsement of Joe Rogan, one of the most popular podcast hosts in America.