‘False claims and hitting phones’: How Trump spent Election Day as presidential race goes down to wire

Donald Trump will barely have slept going into election day, if at all, having wrapped up his final campaign rally at 2am.

But that didn’t stop the former president from casting his own vote early on Tuesday and ranting about his enemies in a diatribe against Fox News and Oprah Winfrey.

Based in Mar-a-Lago, Trump then spent the day ‘peppering aides with questions’ and hitting the phones to speak to Republican allies and officials, sources told CNN.

And as ever the Republican billionaire was not far from his beloved social media, posting regularly on Truth Social throughout the day as Americans went to the polls.

He claimed - without evidence - that there has been “massive CHEATING in Philadelphia” and urged voters across the country to stay in line until they cast their ballot.

“This is impressive,” Trump said as he entered a room full of his supporters at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday morning, though noting “It’s too early to congratulate.”

“I hope they come up with a result tonight,” he continued. “Make sure there’s no cheating.” Trump’s wife, Former First Lady Melania Trump, stood by him as he delivered the remarks, thanking the room full of supporters for their hard work and support.

“It was hard work I know it’s hours and hours. I know how hard my husband is working,” she said, wearing a black and white polka dot Dior dress. “Thank you for all your support.”

Trump voted at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach on Tuesday morning and briefly spoke to reporters there.

“I ran a great campaign. I think it was maybe the best of the three. We did great in the first one. We did much better in the second one, but something happened. I would say this is the best campaign we’ve run,” Trump said, adding that he believes this is the last campaign he will run, win or lose.

He also used the opportunity to complain about alternatives to in-person paper ballots, which he said are likely to stall election results.

Trump spoke with Republican leaders across the country as voters headed to the polls, including Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Trump said his Republican base has “shown up with force.”

He will be watching the election results at Mar-a-Lago and also attend a watch party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center where he is expected to give a speech, according to CNN.

“We’re going to have a very special group of people,” Trump told reporters. That group will not include reporters at Politico, Axios, Puck, Voice of America and Mother Jones, who were denied credentials to the Mar-a-Lago event because of “inaccurate” coverage, the outlet reported.

Florida has historically been a swing state that Former President Barack Obama won twice. Trump is expected to be the favorite this year.