President Donald Trump will speak publicly for the first time since declaring himself the election winner on Wednesday morning as his campaign say they will sue the state of Nevada as they believe there are a number of "illegal votes" being counted in that state. They claim dead people as well as people who don't meet residency requirements have voted.
The move is the latest effort by the president to launch legal action in key states as the presidential election swings in Joe Biden's favour.
Earlier Mr Biden declared it was “clear” he has won the election as projected victories in Michigan and Wisconsin pushed him within touching distance of the White House.
The key state of Pennsylvania is expected to declare its results before midnight on the East coast – which means the next president of the United States could be known very shortly.
Protests have already begun to escalate across the country as the election teeters on a knife-edge. In Detroit, video captured Trump backers as they stormed a vote counting centre.
Follow the latest updates below.
11:01 PM
Trump to speak at 11.30 GMT
For the first time since declaring himself the victor early on Tuesday morning, President Trump will address the world in about half an hour.
He will speak from the White House press briefing room, according to his spokesperson.
We will bring you all the highlights right here, and you can watch his remarks on our livestream at the top of this blog also.
10:57 PM
Arizona Republicans embrace disputing the vote
The Arizona Republican Party has embraced a growing movement to dispute the vote counting process in the state, Laurence Dodds reports.
At a short-notice press conference in Phoenix, Arizona, which doubled as a passionate mini-rally for supporters, state chairwoman Kelli Wards said she did not trust the count and drew a target on the city's Democrat election chief, Adrian Fontes.
"I have some concerns about the election department and about Adrian Fontes himself," she said. "We want to ensure the integrity of the elections in Arizona."
The party stopped short of launching a lawsuit, claiming that President Trump was sure to emerge the victor, but senior adviser David Bossie said that "all options are on the table".
Though he refrained from endorsing the "sharpiegate" conspiracy theory, he said its claims were "not unfounded to the people that it affected" and should be investigated.
As the count continues, Mr Fontes, who is the county recorder for the Phoenix metro area, will be up before a court later today to answer such questions. His officials have insisted that all ballots marked with sharpies will be counted.
10:51 PM
Trump campaign calls for Supreme Court to 'step in' in Pennsylvania
A legal adviser for the Trump campaign has called for the Supreme Court to intervene in the lawsuit they have filed in Pennsylvania, saying she hopes "Amy Coney Barrett will come through."
"We're waiting for the United States Supreme Court - of which the President has nominated three justices - to step in and do something. And hopefully Amy Coney Barrett will come through," the adviser said on Fox News.
Trump campaign legal adviser: "We're waiting for the United States Supreme Court - of which the President has nominated three justices - to step in and do something. And hopefully Amy Coney Barrett will come through" pic.twitter.com/Z4bfBqsks5
Who are the poll watchers the Trump campaign keeps mentioning?
Some of the Trump campaign's complaints about the counting process centres around poll watchers, or "observers" who oversee the counting process, writes Rozina Sabur. But who exactly are these poll watchers and what do they do?
I met one poll watcher - Romeo Corvino, in Erie, Pennsylvania last week. Mr Corvino, a retired volunteer for the Republican Party, described his role as simply being another pair of eyes on the counting process - checking that ballots have been filled out correctly and are submitted to the machines correctly. "I’ll be there just to see everything goes right," he said.
In Erie County, a former manufacturing area and Democrat stronghold which Mr Trump flipped in 2016, the votes are still being counted. Mr Corvino and his colleagues may hope to be done by this evening, since state officials say they expect to have finished most tallies by this evening.
The Democratic Party also has their own army of poll watchers and lawyers in the counting rooms. Jim Wertz, the Erie County Democratic Party chair, said he viewed their roles as ensuring every valid ballot was counted.
"Democrats are not in the business of challenging votes," Mr Wertz said. "But the other side is more inclined to try to challenge those votes and have them set aside. So our folks in that room are there to offer a defence."
10:35 PM
Pennsylvania in 'home stretch' of vote count
Kathy Boockvar, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, is speaking at a press conference currently. She said there are "several hundred thousand" ballots left to count but they are in the "home stretch" of the count.
She went on to urge people to "stay tuned" as the "overwhelming majority of ballots will be counted by Friday." Military and overseas ballots will be counted by Tuesday.
However, Ms Boockvar stressed that she is confident in the integrity of the election and that she is "not aware of any recent allegations of voter fraud."
"It’s very close in Pennsylvania, which means it’s going to take longer to see," said Ms Boockvar. "I can say there are several hundreds thousands ballots remaining to be counted. The closer the race is, the longer it takes. Because it's so close, it's not yet clear who the winner is."
Currently President Trump leads by about 90,000 votes in Pennsylvania, but there are approximately 326,000 ballots left to count.
10:27 PM
Donald Trump Jr: President should 'go to total war'
The inflammatory rhetoric keeps coming from the President's children, with his son Donald Trump Jr tweeting that his father should "go to total war" over the election.
"The best thing for America’s future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long," he tweeted.
"It’s time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!" he added.
The best thing for America’s future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long.
It’s time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!
Joe Biden urges voters to 'stay calm' while votes are being counted
10:16 PM
Meet Jill Biden: the woman who could be the next First Lady
Jill Biden spent eight years serving as the Second Lady during the Obama administration, but her highly personal nine-minute live address at the Democratic Convention in August, from an empty classroom at the high school where she used to teach, was her first formal introduction to most of the American public.
A self-professed introvert, Dr Biden has always been reticent about entering the political spotlight, although she is often described as Joe Biden's biggest defender and one of his best assets. She is also said to be one of his most trusted political advisers, reportedly playing a pivotal role in helping Mr Biden narrow down his list of potential running mates.
Pennsylvania officials to hold press conference at 10.15pm GMT
Election officials in Pennsylvania will hold a press conference in 15 minutes to provide an update on the vote count.
Kathy Boockvar, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, earlier today said the majority of votes could be counted by the end of today.
Pennsylvania has 20 electoral college votes available. If the Keystone state were to swing to the Democrats, then Biden would cross the 270 vote threshold needed to win the presidency.
However, if the president holds the state that he flipped in 2016, then his path back to the White House remains open.
09:56 PM
Why Democrats are optimistic about winning Georgia
Donald Trump is leading Georgia by around 12,000 votes but more than 30,000 are yet to be counted and up to 8000 overseas ballots could still arrive from Service Members.
Fulton County, the state’s largest and home to Atlanta, could tip the state. Donald Trump is leading with 49.5 per cent, while Joe Biden has 49.2 per cent of the vote, but the area is traditionally a Democratic stronghold.
Mr Biden is performing better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016, including in their more upscale suburban areas.
Early Wednesday, Donald Trump prematurely claimed he carried Georgia - and several other states that were too early to call.
Donald Trump's son, Eric, has put out a call for Republican support on Twitter, who have remained silent for the most part while the president and his inner circle cry fraud in the election.
"Where is the GOP?!?" he tweeted, referencing the Republican party. "Our voters will never forget..."
Earlier today, Eric Trump tweeted a link to a fake video that claimed to show 80 ballots for Donald Trump being burnt. The video has since been deleted.
Where is the GOP?! Our voters will never forget...
Trump campaign files federal lawsuit over Philadelphia count
The Trump campaign has filed its sixth (!) lawsuit since Tuesday's vote, this time in a federal court in Philadelphia
According to the court filing, the cmpaign is suing the Philadelphia county board of elections and is seeking an injunction in order to bar ballot counting unless Republican observers are present when the ballots are counted, as it said was required under Pennsylvania law.
Trump's campaign said election officials are "intentionally refusing to allow any representatives and poll watchers for President Trump and the Republican Party."
09:24 PM
Biden urges Americans to 'stay calm'
Joe Biden used his extremely brief statement to urge voters to "stay calm" while votes are being counted.
"It is the will of the voters that chooses the president of America and no one else. Every vote will be counted," he added.
09:21 PM
Rival protesters clash outside Philadelphia counting centre
Supporters of US president Donald Trump faced off with counter-demonstrators at a protest outside an election counting centre in Philadelphia on Thursday.
The protesters, many carrying signs and placards, were seen shouting and arguing as votes in the poll between Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden were being tallied nearby.
09:16 PM
Biden to speak at 9.15pm GMT
Joe Biden will make an address at any moment, according to his campaign.
09:16 PM
Trump campaign attacks Fox News polling expert
U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign on Thursday attacked the person at Fox News responsible for the network's projection calling Arizona for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as a "Clinton-voting, Biden-donating Democrat."
With Arizona in Biden's column, he would have 264 of the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, putting him closer to victory and narrowing his Republican opponent's path to re-election.
Trump's campaign website said, "decision desk" director Arnon Mishkin "prematurely called Arizona for Joe Biden before hundreds of thousands of ballots had been counted. Even left-leaning election analysts like (538’s) Nate Silver have criticized the decision, but Mishkin is standing by his terrible decision despite and refusing to retract his unjustified call."
The website added that Mr Mishkin: "has a long record of donating to Democrats, including the 2008 Obama-Biden campaign." Neither Mr Mishkin, nor his employer Fox News, could be reached for comment.
The network projected at 11:20 p.m. ET on election night on Tuesday that former Vice President Biden would win the Southwestern battleground state of Arizona, at a time when Mishkin said "80-some" percent of its votes had been counted.
The Associated Press, which relies on the same polling data as Fox News, made the same projection three hours later. None of the other major television networks have so far projected a winner for Arizona, saying it was too close to call with so many outstanding ballots left to be counted.
09:10 PM
'Sharpiegate' has been around since early October
In early October The Telegraph was reporting from outside an early voting polling station in Phoenix, Arizona, writes Nick Allen.
A voter emerged from the polling station and talked to a non-partisan election observer sitting outside in the car park.
The voter then left, apparently without voting
The election observer told The Telegraph: "They’ve only got felt tip pens in there but they bleed through, and that could lead to the ballot not being counted.
“Someone asked to vote electronically instead, but the machine wasn’t set up right."
09:00 PM
Michigan offers Democrats hope amid disappointing congressional result
Democrats held on to a Senate seat following a closely-fought race in Michigan. It offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise poor set of congressional results for the party, writes Nick Allen
Gary Peters, clung to the seat by 1.6 per cent despite a surge from John James, a former Iraq war veteran backed by Donald Trump.
With only a few Senate seats left to be decided it was anticipated that gridlock in Washington would continue regardless of who ended up in the White House.
Republicans were confident of maintaining control of the Senate and also performed unexpectedly well in races for the House of Representatives.
Further to out posts at 7pm and 5.09pm, Facebook has removed a rapidly growing group claiming the US election is being stolen from Donald Trump, amid growing fears that it could lead to real world violence, James Titcomb reports.
The “Stop the Steal” group had reached more than 350,000 members just a day after being set up before it was deleted by Facebook on Thursday evening. It had become a hub for conspiracy theories about the vote and calls for people to protest, in some cases in ways that could lead to violence.
False claims surrounding election fraud have exploded online since polls closed on Tuesday as the lengthy vote-counting process, a result of more postal votes during the pandemic, creates continued uncertainty about the outcome.
Judge orders twice daily sweeps for states still receiving ballots
A judge ordered twice daily sweeps at U.S. Postal Service (USPS) facilities serving states with extended ballot receipt deadlines as votes were still being counted in U.S. election battleground states.
Some states, including still undecided Nevada and North Carolina, are counting ballots that are received after Election Day. Plaintiffs lawyers in a lawsuit said the Postal Service delivered roughly 150,000 ballots nationwide on Wednesday. Of those, roughly 8,000 or 9,000, were delivered after Tuesday even though they had been mailed by Sunday.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said the processing centers must perform morning sweeps and then afternoon sweeps "to ensure that any identified local ballots can be delivered that day."
USPS must report to headquarters "the total number of ballots identified and confirm that those ballots have been expedited for delivery to meet applicable extended state deadlines," Judge Sullivan added in an order.
Judge Sullivan has been urging USPS to take all possible steps to ensure ballots are delivered before deadlines. He ordered the sweeps in response to lawsuits by groups including Vote Forward, the NAACP, and Latino community advocates.
"The pressing issues are where are the ballots and how do we get them delivered so they can be counted," Judge Sullivan said.
08:37 PM
Record spending on 2020 campaigns fueled by polarized anger
America's 2020 campaigns cost some $14 billion, a record sum showing that parties are increasingly willing to spend big on races to express visceral opposition to their rivals - even when their chances are slim.
The enormous cost of this year's presidential and legislative elections is nearly double the cost of 2016's races, and more than triple those of 2000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group that tracks money in politics.
The Democrats in particular lost some costly wagers this year.
South Carolina's incumbent Republican Senator Lindsey Graham easily beat his rival Jaime Harrison, who spent a record $108 million after donations from Democrats poured in from all over the country, according to Karl Evers-Hillstrom from the CPR.
"To all the liberals in California and New York, you wasted a lot of money," Senator Graham said following his reelection.
08:26 PM
What if Trump refuses to accept the result?
If the result comes back with a Joe Biden win, and all of President Trump's lawsuits fail to change the outcome, then what happens?
Donald Trump has already declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election.
"We're going to have to see what happens," Mr Trump said during the campaign.
"You know that I've been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster."
Trump campaign announces press conference at 9pm (GMT)
The Trump team will deliver another press conference in about 45 minutes, this time from Phoenix, Arizona.
08:13 PM
Georgia counts 3,000 ballots in two hours
An election official for Georgia has announced that we are down to the last 47,277 ballots to be counted, meaning they are on pace to count approximately 1,500 ballots an hour.
Gabriel Sterling, the Georgia voting system implementation manager, said the plurality of ballots left to be counted are from Chatham County.
Chatham was the county where the Trump team launched a lawsuit asking authorities to ensure officials were following state laws on processing absentee ballots. The county is home to the city of Savannah, a heavily Democratic area.
Mr Sterling said he expects that every ballot will be counted by November 13, ten days after the election.
08:07 PM
How could Kamala Harris change the vice-presidency?
With Joe Biden on track to win the presidency, his deputy Kamala Harris has history in her sights as the first woman, and first person of colour, to serve as the US Vice President, writes Rozina Sabur.
Much has been made of Ms Harris' biracial background and her unique place in the history books. But if she is elected to high office, Ms Harris' position as Vice President will be distinctive for another reason - she will be deputising for the oldest president in US history, a fact which is likely to yield her more power than any of her successors.
The 56-year-old is viewed as a potential president-in-waiting by Democrats who believe that Mr Biden, who turns 78 this month, would only serve one term if elected to the White House.
The Secretary of State for Georgia will hold a press conference to provide an update on the state of the vote in about five minutes, CNN and MSNBC report.
We will bring you all the best bits from that press conference right here.
07:49 PM
Election day 3 in pictures
About 100 Demonstrators outside Phoenix City Hall show support for US President Donald Trump and suggest that officials are trying to steal the vote as counting continues in Arizona - Rick D'Elia/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock People gather at Black Lives Matter Plaza as the nation awaits presidential election results in in Washington DC - Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock /Shutterstock Activists take part in a protest led by shutdownDC - ERIN SCOTT /REUTERS National Guard troops assemble outside a Target shop in Philadelphia as protests break out across the US following Tuesday's contested election - MARK MAKELA /REUTERS
07:34 PM
What's happening with Trump's lawsuits?
Five swing states face lawsuits from Donald Trump, who claims fraudulent votes have been counted in multiple counties.
As a result, the winner of the election could be unclear for weeks, and the damage to public confidence in the democratic process could last much longer.
It is possible, and I stress, *possible * we may know the result of the election today, Josie Ensor in Philadelphia writes.
Kathy Boockvar, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, just told CNN that the "overwhelming majority" of remaining ballots will be counted by today. She said she previously thought that would not happen until tomorrow.
“We definitely could” know the results today, she told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
If Joe Biden wins in Pennsylvania, which has 20 Electoral College votes, it would be enough to take him over the 270 votes he needs without any of the other states which are still in play. It would also put the presidency out of reach for Donald Trump, who must win the state to reach that magic number, making the Rust Belt state kingmaker.
The Biden camp has been confident that he will win his home state, but then so has Mr Trump. Returning around 92 per cent of the votes so far, there are 550,000 ballots still to be counted.
The president is currently leading 50.2 per cent - 114,000 votes - to Mr Biden’s 48.5 per cent, but Democrats believe this is what’s known as a “red mirage” and the majority of outstanding mail-in ballots are from blue counties that include deep blue cities Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Some analysts have projected a Biden win of 80,000 votes or less.
07:07 PM
Biden tests negative for coronavirus
Not to take your minds back to the depressing global pandemic, but Joe Biden's campaign have just announced that the potential president-elect has tested negative for Covid-19.
07:00 PM
Facebook takes down 'Stop the Steal' group
Further to our post at 5.09pm, Facebook appears to have taken down a rapidly growing group claiming that Democrats were attempting to steal the election, reports James Titcomb
The "Stop the Steal" group, which had more than 350,000 members, was offline on Thursday morning.
Facebook said in a statement that the "group was organised around the delegitimisation of the election process and we saw worrying calls for violence."
The group had called on members to protest outside vote counts and called for nationwide protests to take place on Saturday.
Since being set up it had been swamped with conspiracy theories and calls for violence.
06:52 PM
Wall Street draws comfort from potential divided Congress
U.S. stocks jumped today as bets on Republicans retaining control of the Senate eased worries of major policy changes that could hurt corporate America under a Joe Biden White House, even as the presidential election hung in the balance.
With counting continuing in the battleground states, investors were abandoning cautious positioning that many took ahead of the election, driving all of Wall Street's main indexes up by around 2%.
Analysts predicted the fraught nature of the vote would hamper any moves by Congress to deliver more fiscal stimulus and put pressure on the U.S. Federal Reserve to pump more funds into the financial system, supporting more buying of stocks.
"Whoever emerges as President is unlikely to have a supportive Congress willing to write the President blank fiscal cheques," said Albert Edwards, global strategist at Societe Generale.
06:44 PM
What would Joe Biden's cabinet look like?
It's still too early to call the election, but there's no hiding from the fact that Joe Biden is currently occupying the driver's seat.
If he wins, the Democratic presidential candidate's aides have privately hinted he plans to build the most diverse Cabinet in American history, writes Rozina Sabur.
Mr Biden is fond of saying the government should "look like the country" it governs, and his team have suggested that several women and people of colour are in line for top posts under a Biden presidency.
Given Mr Biden's age – he would be 78 by the time he took office – the Democrat is also under pressure to ensure a younger generation of rising political talent features in his government picks.
A state court judge in Michigan has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign that sought to stop vote count in the state.
Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens made the ruling during a court hearing on Thursday. She said she planned to issue a written ruling on Friday.
She also said the defendant, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, was the wrong person to sue because she doesn't control the logistics of local ballot counting, even if she is the state's chief election officer.
The lawsuit claimed Ms Benson, a Democrat, was allowing absentee ballots to be counted without teams of bipartisan observers as well as challengers. She was accused of undermining the "constitutional right of all Michigan voters ... to participate in fair and lawful elections."
Ms Benson, through state attorneys, denied the allegations. Much of the dispute centered on the TCF Center in Detroit where pro-Trump protesters gathered while absentee ballots were being counted.
06:25 PM
How Joe Biden or Donald Trump can secure victory
As the US presidential election enters its final stretch, rivals Donald Trump and Joe Biden have very different routes to claim power, writes Dominic Gilbert.
In a close-fought campaign which upset predictions from polling data, President Trump must win all the states yet to declare.
Former Vice President Joe Biden - who had been widely tipped to win comfortably - is closing in on the 270 votes needed in the electoral college to become president-elect.
The Democrat challenger would need to win just two of the six states available (except Alaska) - Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Trump would need five of them.
According to the secretary of state for Georgia, there are 50,401 ballots left to be counted in the state.
Currently, President Trump leads Joe Biden by just 13,540 votes. According to calculations by CNN, Mr Biden needs to win about 63 per cent of the remaining uncounted ballots in order to win an upset and take the traditionally conservative state.
There are 16 electoral college votes up for grabs. If Mr Biden were to steal the state, that would take him to 269 electoral college votes, one short of the requires 270 for the White House.
06:02 PM
Trump releases statement
President Trump has released an official statement via his campaign, in which he claimed that if only "legal" votes were counted, then he would "easily win the election".
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win the election! If you count illegal and late votes, they can steal the election from us!" the statement read.
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump hold signs during a protest about the early results of the 2020 presidential election, in front of the Phoenix City Hall in Phoenix - CHENEY ORR /REUTERS
05:52 PM
Why is the Nevada result so delayed?
Nevada is one of the key battlegrounds in the US election.
Narrowly won by Hillary Clinton in 2016, the Democrats are confident of holding on to the state. And Joe Bidenb currently leads by a single percentage point with 86 percent of the vote counted.
But the vote count has been delayed, meaning we are still hours away from knowing how the Silver State has voted.
That's important because its six electoral college votes could be enough to push Mr Biden through the door of the White House.
A suburban St. Louis election official who worked at a polling place on Election Day despite a positive test for the coronavirus has now died, raising concerns for the nearly 2,000 people who voted there.
St. Charles County, Missouri, spokeswoman Mary Enger said in a news release that the person was an election judge supervisor at the Blanchette Park Memorial Hall polling site in St. Charles, about 25 miles northwest of St. Louis. Ms Enger said the county's health department and election authority recently learned that the poll worker tested positive Oct. 30 for Covid-19 and was advised to quarantine for 14 days.
"The election judge nevertheless failed to follow the advice" and worked throughout the day on Tuesday, Ms Enger said. "Authorities have informed the County that this individual has died, although a cause of death has not been given at this time."
No details about the worker, including his or her age or gender, were released.
05:37 PM
Donald Trump campaign to launch legal challenge in Nevada
05:30 PM
Georgia judge dismisses Trump lawsuit
A judge in Georgia has dismissed a lawsuit by the state Republican Party and President Donald Trump's campaign that asked him to ensure a coastal county was following state laws on processing absentee ballots.
Chatham County Superior Court Judge James Bass did not provide an explanation for his decision Thursday at the close of a roughly one-hour hearing. The county includes the heavily Democratic city of Savannah.
The suit had raised concerns about 53 absentee ballots that poll observers said were not part of an original batch of ballots. County elections officials testified that all 53 ballots had been received on time.
05:23 PM
Biden increases lead in Nevada
The latest batch of ballots in Nevada have been counted, and it's good news for those on team Biden. The Democrats have increased their lead over the Republicans, albeit slightly.
With an estimated 87 per cent of the vote counted so far, Mr Biden has a one point lead over President Trump. Biden has 49.5 per cent of the vote, compared with 48.5 per cent currently favouring Mr Trump.
05:18 PM
Biden campaign briefing: ‘Absolutely confident’ Biden will win
Ben Riley-Smith, US Editor in Washington DC, has this on the spin battle.
Joe Biden’s top campaign officials have just given their own briefing on how they see the final part of the race, moments after the Trump camp briefing ended. It is, you will not be surprised to hear, projecting the exact opposite message.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Mr Biden’s campaign manager, said: “We are absolutely confident that Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.”
She spelled out how they see each of the states where results are still up in the air. Ms O’Malley Dillon said that they are confident Mr Biden will win Pennsylvania. This would be big. Pennsylvania alone can get Mr Biden above the 270 electoral votes needed to become president, based on the current map.
Mr Trump is ahead in the count there. But Ms O’Malley Dillon argued that there are between 500,000 and 700,000 votes remaining and Mr Biden will take the lead once counted. She also said that they will hold on in Arizona, where Mr Biden is ahead. She predicted his lead over Mr Trump would narrow but ultimately the Democrat would be ahead.
There was less confidence about Georgia, a state in the Deep South which has not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1992. She called it a toss-up.
There was also a firm push back from Bob Bauer, a top attorney for the Biden campaign, over the flurry of legal challenges we have seen from the Trump campaign. He said the challenges were “meritless” and in some states an attempt to stop the counting.
Lawsuits in various forms have been submitted by the Trump campaign in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada - four battleground states critical to the final result. Mr Bauer claimed many of the immediate lawsuits were an attempt not to win legal victories necessarily but to create a “cloud” of uncertainty about the result.
“We see through it, so do the courts and so do election officials,” Mr Bauer said.
05:14 PM
Trump uses lawsuits to go on offensive
Donald Trump’s campaign launched a string of lawsuits focusing on a number of key battleground states as the US president fell behind Joe Biden in the hotly contested election race, writes Ben Riley-Smith.
As the Democratic nominee edged closer to the all-important 270 electoral votes mark on Wednesday, Mr Trump’s legal team made a flurry of moves contesting elements of the race.
Former campaign senior adviser Of U.S. president Donald Trump, Corey Lewandowski uses a megaphone as supporters of U.S. president Donald Trump rally - EDUARDO MUNOZ /REUTERS
On election results night, Mr Trump had prematurely declared himself the winner and vowed to take his claim to the Supreme Court.
Facebook group pushing false claim of stolen election rapidly gains 325,000 members
A public Facebook group pushing false claims about voter fraud and Democrats trying to "steal" the U.S. election has rapidly swelled to more than 325,000 members, a day after it was created.
The "Stop the Steal" group, which says it was started by the conservative non-profit Women for America First, called for "boots on the ground to protect the integrity of the vote."
With tensions rising, about 200 of Republican President Donald Trump's supporters, some armed with rifles and handguns, gathered outside an election office in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday following unsubstantiated rumors that votes were not being counted.
In Detroit, officials blocked about 30 people, mostly Republicans, from entering a vote-counting facility amid unfounded claims that the vote count in Michigan was fraudulent.
It is normal in U.S. elections for states to count votes for days, or sometimes even weeks, after voting ends. Election experts say fraud is very rare in U.S. voting.
05:03 PM
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, temporarily halts ballot counting, reports CNN
Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, which is home to the city of Pittsburgh, has halted ballot counting until Friday, CNN report.
Allegheny County is the second most populous county in the state, behind Philadelphia County.
05:00 PM
Trump campaign briefing: President will win by end of Friday
Donald Trump’s top campaign officials have just held a briefing call claiming it will be clear the US president has won the election by the end of tomorrow, writes Ben Riley-Smith.
Outlining their arguments to journalists, the figures argued that Mr Trump would win Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia - four of five swing states in the balance. The officials also made allegations of election fraud using fiery rhetoric, even as they failed to provide specifics about what exactly they are claiming is taking place during counting.
Both of the claims - that Mr Trump will win the race and election fraud is rife - were strongly contested from Joe Biden’s campaign.
“Donald Trump is alive and well,” his campaign manager Bill Stepien said of the president’s election hopes, hitting out at media pundits who have said Mr Trump will lose. Jason Miller, a senior Trump campaign adviser, said that by the end of Friday it will be clear that Mr Trump has won the election and will remain president.
Whether that prediction proves true remains to be seen. But Mr Trump is behind Mr Biden on electoral votes and behind in counts in Arizona and Nevada. If Mr Biden wins both those states he will be president, based on states as called at this moment in time.
During the briefing the Trump campaign made a string of heated claims about election fraud, largely speaking in general terms rather than specifics.
"The Democrats lying, cheating and stealing is running rampant all over this country,” Mr Stepien claimed. That, of course, is a provocative, sweeping allegation which is firmly disputed by the Biden campaign.
04:56 PM
Trump campaign: 'illegal' votes being counted in Nevada
Trump campaign officials in Nevada are claiming that there are a number of "illegal votes" being counted in that state. They claim dead people as well as people who don't meet residency requirements have voted, despite there being no evidence of this being the case.
The campaign also said it plans to sue the state of Nevada. They claim that up to 10,000 people voted in the state, despite no longer living there.
Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt said: "We are filing in federal district court here in Las Vegas...we're asking the judge to, due to all these irregularities, to stop the counting of improper votes."
04:49 PM
Ballot counting in Philadelphia temporarily halted, reports MSNBC
The counting of mail-in ballots in Philadelphia has been temporarily halted as Democrats ask the state's top court to reverse a lower court ruling on ballot count observers, MSNBC reported.
04:48 PM
Biden campaign gives an update
Democrat Joe Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said she expects to be able to announce victory "imminently" and that Trump's response to the election results has been "desperate".
She also provided updates on how the campaign views the remaining key states. On Arizona, she said it may take time to see full voting results and that the margin in the state may tighten.
Ms O'Malley Dillon also said that they believe they are approaching "parity" with Trump in Pennsylvania, and they expect the remaining ballots will tilt things in their favour, once they are tabulated.
On Nevada, she said the Democrats still expect to win the state, although the next set of ballots that will be counted come from "rural, in-person votes" which may temporarily tilt things in Trumps favour.
04:38 PM
Trump says campaign will legally challenge "Biden claimed states"
President Donald Trump have threatened more legal challenges over results from Tuesday's presidential election in a handful of states, claiming without any evidence that voter fraud has been committed in places where Democrat Joe Biden appears to have won.
"All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud," Trump wrote in a tweet, without listing specific states or examples of alleged fraud.
All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud. Plenty of proof - just check out the Media. WE WILL WIN! America First!
Trump campaign predicts victory as early as Friday
President Donald Trump's campaign said it expected to launch additional legal action in Pennsylvania and Nevada and predicted that the Republican incumbent would emerge victorious in the U.S. election by as early as Friday evening.
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a conference call that Trump was "alive and well" with regard to the presidential race.
Campaign adviser Jason Miller said he expected legal action in Pennsylvania to ensure visibility on previous ballots that have been counted in that state.
04:30 PM
Pennsylvania voters await election count: 'This may turn out to be a nail biting landslide'
As the US continues to wait to find out who will become president, Pennsylvania voters are also waiting to see which candidate wins their state.
Pennsylvania vote counting has been slow compared to years past and the wait for a winner is weighing on Pennsylvanians minds.
04:23 PM
As lead vanishes in Pennsylvania, Team Trump turns to court
Members of Team Trump were up bright and early this morning, appearing at the Philadelphia Convention Center, where remaining votes are being counted, writes Josie Ensor in Philadelphia.
Corey Lewandowski, Mr Trump’s campaign adviser, held up a document he claimed to be a court order, demanding to be let into the vote counting facility.
The campaign claims to have won a court victory which allows them to have watchers monitor the count.
At the rate it's going, Pennsylvania, which could become kingmaker with its 20 Electoral Colleges votes, will be last to return.
The state saw an unprecedented number of absentee ballots cast this year over coronavirus concerns. It is also one of only two swing states which was not allowed to begin counting until election day, which has created something of a perfect storm.
The Trump team was bullish this morning, claiming they were all-but-certain to win Joe Biden’s home state. Looking at the latest tally, however, Mr Trump's lead is now down to 159,000 from 657,000 Wednesday morning. There are still around 450,000 mail ballots to count, including 100,000 in deep-blue Philadelphia.
It’s a good sign for Mr Biden, who is winning 77.5 per cent of mail ballots counted so far. But we'll have to wait and see...
04:14 PM
Trump: 'Big legal win in Pennsylvania'
President Trump has just sent a slightly cryptic tweet out, claiming a "big legal win in Pennsylvania".
A busy 60 minutes or so coming up, with the Biden campaign due to speak at any moment.
Trump's campaign is then due to deliver an update from Nevada at 4.30pm (GMT). We'll bring you all the important news as it happens, so stay right here.
03:55 PM
375,000 votes to be counted in Arizona
Arizona state officials say there are 375,000 ballots still to be counted in the Western battleground.
Joe Biden holds a 2.35 per cent point lead over Donald Trump in Arizona, an advantage of about 68,000 votes.
The vast majority of the ballots yet to be counted are from Maricopa County, the most populous area of the state.
03:43 PM
Democrats 'lying', claims Trump campaign manager
Donald Trump's campaign managed has claimed that the Democrats are "lying, cheating and stealing" as the advantage appears to be tipping in Joe Biden's favour.
"It is a disgrace. The American people deserve better. Our democracy deserves better," Bill Stepien said in a briefing call today.
"We still have confidence in Pennsylvania... We also won a major victory in Pennsylvania today," he added.
According to Mr Stepien, the campaign has set up a hotline and website for people nationwide to flag election irregularities.
Claims of voter fraud and election meddling remain unsubstantiated.
NEW: Trump campaign going v hard in a briefing call happening now about the election.
Campaign manager @BillStepien: "The Democrats lying, cheating and stealing is running rampant all over this country.”
The Biden campaign is set to give an update on the presidential race as the Democratic candidate nears the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
The briefing is expected at 11am ET, so 4pm (GMT).
Former vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Former Second Lady of the United States doctor Jill Biden - AFP
03:31 PM
Trump takes to Twitter - again
Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to stop vote counting as Joe Biden edges closer to securing the advantage needed to become president.
In his latest tweet, Mr Trump said: "Any vote that came in after election day will not be counted!"
Twitter immediately flagged the post as containing misleading information.
Mr Trump's claim is false, with vote counting ongoing in numerous key states.
ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED!
Police in Seattle and Portland, Oregon arrested more than a dozen people as hundreds took to the streets to demand a full count of all presidential election votes and a halt to Donald Trump's court challenges to stop counts in some key battleground states, officials said.
Seven people were arrested on Capitol Hill in Seattle and one person who was being arrested for allegedly damaging property was taken to a hospital after "experiencing a medical episode," police said in a statement early Thursday. Others were arrested on suspicion of obstruction, pedestrian interference, property damage, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.
Police said it was unclear whether the person's medical issue was related to the arrest. The person was initially hospitalised in critical condition but later upgraded to serous condition, Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said Thursday morning.
In Portland, protesters smashed windows at businesses, hurled objects including a Molotov cocktail at officers and police made at least 10 arrests, according to a statement from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.
Officers seized multiple firearms, ammunition, a knife, commercial and consumer grade fireworks, body armor and gas masks from people who were arrested, a sheriff's office statement said.
One of the people who was arrested had a rifle with a magazine of ammunition, an improvised explosive device, a knife and was wearing a ballistics vest, the sheriff's office said.
03:09 PM
Watch the key moments of Trump's presidency
Since his victory in 2016 and inauguration in 2017, President Donald Trump has been at the helm of one of the most unconventional and eventful presidencies in recent memory.
02:45 PM
In pictures: America descends into unrest
Thousands of angry supporters of Donald Trump have voiced their frustrations at the vote counting process across the country.
The protests came as the president repeatedly insisted, without evidence, that there were major problems with the voting and the ballot counting, and as Republicans filed suit in multiple states, preparing to contest election results.
Democrats meanwhile rallied behind Joe Biden, declaring that every vote must be counted.
Supporters of US President Donald Trump during a "Stop the Steal" protest in Las Vegas, Nevada - REUTERS Police block traffic as demonstrators march on to highway I-94 in Minneapolis, Minnesota - Getty Images North America The words "Count Every Vote" marked in chalk on the pavement during a rally at Dallas City Hall, Texas - The Dallas Morning News President Donald Trump supporters rally in Phoenix, Arizona - AP People hold a "Remove Trump Pence Now" sign during a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota - AFP
02:25 PM
'Stop the count,' says Trump
Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to offer a starkly different view on vote counting to his competitor Joe Biden.
With the election between Mr Trump and Mr Biden too close to call, the Trump campaign and Republicans turned to the courts to try to invalidate votes in Pennsylvania and block Michigan officials from counting ballots.
So far Mr Trump's campaign has called for a recount in Wisconsin, and asked a judge in Georgia to order late-arriving ballots to be separated and secured so that they cannot be counted.
02:21 PM
Trump campaign to make ‘major announcement’ in Nevada
President Donald Trump's campaign is expected to make a “major announcement” in Las Vegas later today.
It is thought they will announce lawsuit in Nevada, alleging voter fraud, according to Fox News. The campaign claims that around 10,000 votes were cast by people who no longer live in the state.
Despite this, there is currently no evidence of wide-spread voter fraud.
Supporters of President Donald Trump protest the Nevada vote in Las Vegas - AP
Ric Grenell, Adam Laxalt, Matt Schlapp and Michael McDonald are expected at 4.30pm (GMT).
Joe Biden currently holds a lead in the state of Nevada, but it is exceptionally slim. Protests have broken out across the state against its current vote count.
02:14 PM
Updated count from Philadelphia expected any minute
The Philadelphia City Commissioners are expected to release an updated count of mail-in ballots shortly.
The race in Pennsylvania has become increasingly tight since the votes began to be added to the tally.
Election Day was predominantly Republican, in part because Donald Trump dissuaded his voters from using mail-in ballots, while the Democrats encouraged it.
So, as time has progressed and mail-in votes are counted, Mr Trump’s lead has narrowed.
Forecasters always predicted Pennsylvania would be important this election. The president managed to flip the state in a huge blow to the Democrats in 2016, but his power in the rust belt is less certain this time around.
02:05 PM
60,000 more ballots to count in Georgia
Georgia has 60,000 votes left to count, according to the state’s top election official.
Currently around 3,000 ballots are being counted each hour, meaning we could get the state’s results within the next 16 hours.
If a candidate manages to pull ahead considerably in the next few hours however, we could see predictions rolling in much sooner.
Donald Trump’s lead has narrowed considerably as more votes are counted and the president is expected to request a recount.
For now he remains in the lead with 49.6 per cent versus Mr Biden’s 49.2.
01:55 PM
Trump: the three things going through his mind right now
The Telegraph's Tim Stanley gives his insight into the three main concerns that President Donald Trump has in the final stretch of this tense presidential race.
01:44 PM
Biden: every vote must be counted
Democratic nominee Joe Biden has affirmed his commitment to ensuring every vote is counted in the election.
The race is now razor thin in four key states. Here is everything you need to know:
Georgia: All eyes are on Fulton County, the home of Atlanta, as vote counting nears completion. Donald Trump’s lead has narrowed considerably as more votes are counted. If all goes smoothly, we can expect an update from state officials within the next few hours. But beware: the state is likely to be a target of Mr Trump’s campaign for a recount. Mr Trump is just about in the lead, with 49.6 per cent versus Mr Biden’s 49.2.
Arizona: Joe Biden is still ahead in the state with 50.5 per cent of the vote, while Mr Trump has 48.1. Fox News called the state as a Biden victory yesterday, sparking outrage from the GOP, and was swiftly followed by AP - an outlet considered to be the gold-standard for forecasting. Other observers say the race is too close to call. Mr Biden’s lead has narrowed since Maricopa, the biggest county in Arizona, released its votes. The county said 275,000 remained this morning and said an update would come at 9pm EST.
Nevada: Mr Biden’s lead is exceptionally slim, at 8,000 votes. The spotlight will be on Clark County, home to Las Vegas and the largest share of votes in the state, when it releases an update at 12pm EST. For now, Mr Biden holds 49.3 per cent and Mr Trump 48.7.
Pennsylvania: Around 12 hours ago Mr Trump had pulled ahead by over 700,000 votes in the rust belt state. Election Day was predominantly Republican, in part because Mr Trump dissuaded his voters from using mail-in ballots, while the Democrats encouraged it. So, as time has progressed and mail-in votes are counted, Mr Trump’s lead has narrowed. It now stands at around 164,000. The Republican has 50.7 per cent of the vote, while Mr Biden 48.1.
01:13 PM
How pollsters got it wrong again
There were early signs that the 2020 race would be far tighter than the polls had suggested, reports US Editor Ben Riley-Smith.
Florida was the signal. Democrats went into election night with their eyes fixed on the state, knowing it was likely to be called early given state officials counted postal ballots as they arrived.
Turn Florida blue and Donald Trump was done. No Republican had lost the state and won the White House in generations. And after that, who knows?
Perhaps a Joe Biden landslide.
It took just hours to prove how misguided those ambitions had been. As polls closed on the east coast and counts began to flood in, Mr Trump pulled into a lead in Florida.
Analysis: Why both men still have pathways to victory
US Editor Ben Riley-Smith has the latest:
Good morning from Washington DC. As the sun begins to rise on Thursday, citizens here in the US capital would be forgiven for feeling like they are stuck in an endless results count.
They went to bed on Tuesday night with the result unclear. They went to bed on Wednesday night with the result unclear. Will the same happen again on Thursday night?
Right now that feels unlikely but a possibility. Everything is down to five states: Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina. Both men have pathways to win.
So where are we? Joe Biden is up in Arizona (by around 68,000 votes) and Nevada (by around 8,000 votes), both with around 86 per cent of the vote counted. Win both, he wins.
Mr Trump is ahead in the other three states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina. However as postal votes are counted, his leads are shrinking. They are narrow now. Theoretically overturnable.
Mr Trump leads in Georgia by around 18,000 votes - he was up some 400,000 a day ago. Mr Trump is up around 165,000 votes in Pennsylvania, but a tenth of all ballots need counting.
North Carolina is still uncalled. Mr Trump has a narrow lead there but is expected to hold on (Alaska too is actually uncalled but Mr Trump will win that comfortably barring something crazy).
Can the US president still win? Yes. To do so he must hold those three states he is leading in, seeing off Mr Biden’s late surge, and then win either Nevada or Arizona.
The Trump campaign was bullish yesterday on Arizona. They were infuriated when Fox News called it for Mr Biden early in results night, claiming they jumped the gun.
But Fox has kept that call and the Associated Press - perhaps seen as the gold standard of election night calls - has also given it to Mr Biden. Others are fudging.
Nevada has a slimmer margin - just around 8,000 votes. But this theoretically should be a trickier state for Mr Trump to win. The Democrats won it in 2016, unlike Arizona.
What about Mr Biden? He has many more paths to victory because he is closer to the hallowed 270 electoral college votes, the point at which you win the presidency.
Hold onto the leads and secure Arizona and Nevada, win. Take Arizona and Georgia, win. Victories in Nevada and Georgia, also a win.
And then there is Pennsylvania, his childhood home state so bitterly fought over in the race, a state with a lot of electoral votes. Win just Pennsylvania and Mr Biden is president.
One small but important caveat to the above maths. It is based on the states as called so far.
If a Trump legal challenge changes a result by invalidating some ballots it would alter the map - Mr Biden's wins in Rust Belt states of Michigan and Wisconsin are key - but that seems a way off.
Bottom line: Neither man is defeated yet, but - like 12 hours ago - you would still rather be in Mr Biden’s position than that of the president.
12:35 PM
US sees record breaking coronavirus cases
Although all focus remains on the election, the coronavirus pandemic rages on in the United States.
A new daily record of more than 99,000 coronavirus cases were recorded in the US in the past 24 hours, with 1,112 coronavirus related deaths.
The country has tallied the most cases of any other in the world since the start of the pandemic. The outbreak has been hugely influential on the election, often giving Joe Biden an in with voters.
Mr Biden is more trusted than Donald Trump on the issue of handling coronavirus, according to polls.
Mr Trump's great political strength - his ability to draw huge crowds to campaign rallies - was hampered by lockdown restrictions because of coronavirus.
Amid criticism of his handling of the pandemic, Mr Trump had a challenge to hold on to older and suburban voters who had been hit hard by the virus
12:19 PM
In pictures: the world reacts
With a bitterly divided America failing to deliver a decisive result for either party, the world awaits clarity on the outcome.
Employees inspect the print quality of pages of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong - Bloomberg A person reads a Thai newspaper reporting on the United States presidential election - Shutterstock The front cover of German tabloid newspaper Bild reports election coverage - Bloomberg A man picks up a newspaper featuring an article about the US presidential election on the front page at a newsstand in Hanoi, Vietnam - Shutterstock The front pages of some of Australia's morning papers - AFP
12:04 PM
The Pennsylvania question
If Pennsylvania goes to Joe Biden the presidential race could be over - and we could know the state’s results by the end of the day.
Around 12 hours ago Donald Trump had pulled ahead by over 700,000 votes in the rust belt state.
Election Day was predominantly Republican, in part because Mr Trump dissuaded his voters from using mail-in ballots, while the Democrats encouraged it.
So, as time has progressed and mail-in votes are counted, Mr Trump’s lead has narrowed. It now stands at around 164,000.
Many other areas yet to be counted lean blue. Philadelphia County has 12 per cent of the state’s voting capacity and will back the Democrats.
Forecasters have always predicted Pennsylvania would be important this election. The president managed to flip the state in a huge blow to the Democrats in 2016, but his power in the rust belt is less certain this time around.
If Mr Trump fails to gain Pennsylvania he could still get 270 electoral votes by winning Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia, but it would be tight.
Mr Biden meanwhile could still win without Pennsylvania if he gains Arizona and Nevada.
11:45 AM
How Trump's relationship with social media turned sour
Donald Trump rose to power on the back of social media. He uses Twitter to tell the world what he is doing and thinking at all times.
As the election race tightens, Mr Trump’s tweets have been causing controversy.
11:30 AM
Why is the vote in Georgia changing?
Donald Trump’s lead in Georgia has progressively dropped as votes are counted in the states. But why is this the case?
The main explanation relates to where votes are being counted. Fulton County, the state’s largest, has just 7,500 absentee ballots left to go.
Fulton County is home to Atlanta and its suburbs, which all traditionally lean towards the Democrats. This means that as votes are counted, Donald Trump is unlikely to increase his lead.
Around 1,500 votes are being counted each hour, so the result could be revealed soon.
Absentee ballots are processed and verified by the Fulton County Registration and Elections Department in a large room at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia - Shutterstock
Right now, Joe Biden has 72.5 per cent of the vote in Fulton County, while Donald Trump trails with 26.3 per cent. Across the state as a whole Mr Trump is just about in the lead, with 49.6 per cent versus Mr Biden’s 49.2.
As batches of votes come in the president's lead steadily drops. The big question remaining is how many ballots are left to count - and whether this will be enough to close the gap between the two candidates.
Currently 96 per cent of votes have been counted, which means Mr Biden’s chances of victory are tight.
But the common ground between each area of Georgia with outstanding votes is key: they are all blue areas. The nail-biting race continues.
11:14 AM
American media reacts
As the United States begins to wake up to another day without a clear victor, the nation's newspapers react.
The New York Times The Boston Globe The front page of USA Today The Washington Post
10:50 AM
The path to the White House
As the US presidential election enters its final stretch, rivals Donald Trump and Joe Biden have very different routes to claim power.
In a close-fought campaign which upset predictions from polling data, President Trump must win all the states yet to declare.
Former Vice President Joe Biden - who had been widely tipped to win comfortably - is closing in on the 270 votes needed in the electoral college to become president-elect.
The Democrat challenger would need to win just one of the five states still to be called (except Alaska) - Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Trump would need all of them.
The eventual outcome is almost certain to come down to millions of mail-in votes, the counting of which has seen President Trump's early lead whittled away.
Joe Biden is slightly ahead in Nevada, with the result just hours away.
Read more on how Joe Biden or Donald Trump can secure victory here.
10:36 AM
'Sharpiegate' dismissed
Arizona officials have hit back at the 'sharpiegate' conspiracy theory.
Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said using a sharpie would not invalidate ballots.
One Facebook post added: "The poll workers were taking the pens from voters and making them use Sharpies. Sharpies bleed through. All of the votes marked with Sharpies couldn't be read."
IMPORTANT: If you voted a regular ballot in-person, your ballot will be counted, no matter what kind of pen you used (even a Sharpie)! 1/
Joe Biden holds a narrow lead in Arizona as the state balances on a knife edge - but the Trump administration is watching closely for any signs of victory.
Kayleigh McEnany, Donald Trump's press secretary, just revealed that Mr Biden's lead was cut by 11,000 votes as counts from Maricopa County roll in.
🚨ARIZONA🚨
With the latest data dump coming out of Maricopa County, President Trump won that batch +18%, cutting nearly 11,000 votes off of Joe Biden’s lead
President @realDonaldTrump is on a pace to take over the race lead in Arizona
Arizona has become a hugely contested focal point of the election. Fox News called the state as a Biden victory yesterday, sparking outrage from the GOP. Other observers say the race is too close to call.
With tensions rising, about 200 of Mr Trump's supporters, some armed with rifles and handguns, gathered outside an election office in Phoenix, following unsubstantiated rumors that votes were not being counted.
10:03 AM
'Count every vote'
Americans across the nation protested the prospect of votes in the presidential election not being counted. Washington state, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania are just some of the places that saw demonstrations.
09:46 AM
Could Trump come back for 2024?
Under the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, no president can be elected for more than two terms. But this does not say anything about a president running more again down the line if he fails to serve a second consecutive term.
This could give Donald Trump a road back to the White House if he loses the 2020 Election to Joe Biden: there are no rules preventing him from running in 2024.
Few observers believe Mr Trump will retreat from public life if he loses this election. Like his time in office, Mr Trump's post-presidency will almost certainly be unlike anything the United States has seen before. Mr Trump would leave the White House with a record 87 million Twitter followers, as well as a strong support base.
Another president has pulled off this feat - though it was over 100 years ago. Democrat Grover Cleveland won the presidency in 1884, then lost it four years later to Benjamin Harrison. In 1892 Mr Cleveland then won the election, meaning he served two terms as president, but they were not consecutive.
Before the 22nd Amendment just one president served more than two terms. President Franklin D Roosevelt won a third term by defeating Republican nominee Wendell Willkie in 1940. He went on to gain a fourth term in 1944, but died before completing his time in office. Mr Roosevelt was able to pull off this feat because of the instability of the decade.
09:32 AM
'Sharpiegate' conspiracy theory runs wild
Crowds of Trump supporters drawn by the viral "sharpiegate" conspiracy theory mounted protests outside a vote counting centre in Arizona, Laurence Dodds reports.
Members of the far-right Arizona Patriots movement were ejected from the building in downtown Phoenix after filming and questioning poll workers. Outside, protesters waved flags and chanted demands to "count the votes" and "let us in". A similar protest happened outside the state capitol complex.
Rumours spreading on social media have alleged, without much evidence, that Republican voters were given sharpie pens as part of a plot to invalidate their ballots. Although local officials have said sharpies are no problem, protesters told the Telegraph they did not trust that explanation.
The protest was peaceful, despite a small group of counter-protesters who blasted anti-Trump hip hop drove electric scooters into the midst of the demonstrators to trade insults and arguments with them.
While counting continued, Paul Gosar, a Republican congressman, addressed the crowd and attempted to enter the counting centre, to no avail. Many were incensed by Fox News's decision to call Arizona for Joe Biden.
The Telegraph saw at least eight protesters wearing body armour and carrying rifles, some of whom appeared to be working as a group. One young man, who said he was there to protect the crowd from Left-wing attacks, volunteered that he was not part of the Boogaloo militia movement, which he said had been unjustly maligned.
By midnight, though, the crowd had dispersed as a trickle of new results failed to provide clarity. The Associated Press has called the state for Mr Biden.
09:15 AM
Georgia poised to finish count
The battleground state of Georgia is rapidly closing in on the finish line as the state counts its final votes.
Fulton County, the state’s largest and home to Atlanta, has just 10,000 absentee ballots left to go, according to CNN.
Absentee ballots are processed and verified by the Fulton County Registration and Elections Department - Shutterstock
An average of 3,000 votes are counted each hour in the county, which continued its push through the night. All in-person votes have been counted and only the absentee votes remain.
The area is a Democratic stronghold and holds the potential of tipping the state. Currently, Donald Trump is leading with 49.6 per cent, while Joe Biden has 49.1 per cent of the vote.
08:58 AM
Results tensions escalate in Arizona
Dozens of angry supporters of President Donald Trump converged on vote-counting centers in Phoenix as the returns went against him Wednesday.
"Stop the steal!" Trump supporters chanted in Phoenix.
The protests came as the president insisted without evidence that there were major problems with the voting and the ballot counting, especially with mail-in votes, and as Republicans filed suit in various states over the election.
Wearing Trump gear, protesters filled much of the parking lot at the Maricopa County election center, chanting "Fox News sucks!" in anger over the network declaring Joe Biden the winner in Arizona.
Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican and staunch Trump supporter, joined the crowd, declaring: "We're not going to let this election be stolen. Period."
Two top county officials - one a Democrat, the other a Republican - issued a statement expressing concern.
"Everyone should want all the votes to be counted, whether they were mailed or cast in person," said the statement signed by Clint Hickman, the GOP chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and Democratic Supervisor Steve Gallardo. "An accurate vote takes time... This is evidence of democracy, not fraud."
08:44 AM
Who is winning the key swing states?
There are nine key swing states where the 2020 US election will be won or lost.
As things stand, Joe Biden is ahead in one of the remaining four swing states and has won four and lost two:
As things stand, Mr Biden has a lead in enough states to win the election. Read more about the swing states here.
08:27 AM
In pictures: protests heat up
Protests from both sides are spreading across the country as tensions rise over the election result and vote counting.
Crowds of Trump supporters, in some cases armed with rifles and handguns, have gathered in Arizona and Detroit.
Meanwhile, from New York City to Seattle, thousands of demonstrators turned out to demand that every vote be tallied.
Minneapolis State Patrol arrest journalists and people protesting against racism and issues with the presidential election - AFP A supporter of Donald Trump gestures during a protest about the early results of the 2020 presidential election in Phoenix, Arizona - REUTERS Protesters march through interstate 94 during protesting against racism and issues with the presidential election after in Minneapolis, Minnesota - AFP Supporters of US President Donald Trump bang on the glass and chant slogans outside the room where absentee ballots are being counted in Detroit, Michigan - AFP Protestors are arrested while taking to the in New York City - David Dee Delgado
08:08 AM
Nevada: state will bat away any legal challenges
President Donald Trump's campaign put into action the legal strategy the president had signaled for weeks: attacking the integrity of the voting process in states where the result could mean his defeat.
Legal challenges were filed Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. The new filings joined existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
But Nevada remains confident that the state is “impenetrable” to legal challenges, according to the state’s Attorney General.
"We feel quite invulnerable, if you take a look at the track record we've already established against Mr. Trump," Aaron Ford told CNN's Chris Cuomo.
"We actually have safeguards to prevent fraud, such as signature verification and unique barcodes, that are also part and parcel of the process here… We think it's pretty impenetrable when it comes to legal challenge against us."
07:45 AM
What you need to know this morning
Good morning for those of you who are just joining us. As of now, here are the key things you need to know:
The race today: Wisconsin looks like the sides could be separated by as little as one point, but this is not unheard of for the state. Joe Biden is expected to win. The Democrat appears to have won Michigan by more than two points – not super tight. Pennsylvania looks set to follow. Mr Biden could double Donald Trump’s 2016 margin of victory in the state at least, and maybe even triple it.
Protests: A crowd of Trump supporters, some armed with rifles and handguns, gathered outside an election center in Arizona on Wednesday night after unsubstantiated rumors that votes for the Republican president were deliberately not being counted. Others have congregated in Detroit and Phoenix. Meanwhile, from New York City to Seattle, thousands of demonstrators turned out to demand that every vote be tallied.
Supreme Court: While Mr Trump wants the Supreme Court to weigh in on a presidential race, it may not be the final arbiter in this election, legal experts said.
Legal action: Mr Trump's campaign put into action the legal strategy the president had signaled for weeks: the president's campaign filed Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.
Congress: The election scrambled seats in the House and Senate, but ultimately left Congress much like it began.
Pro-Trump protesters, some of them armed, have gathered outside a key election counting centre in Pheonix, Arizona.
Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican and staunch Donald Trump supporter, joined the crowd, declaring: "We're not going to let this election be stolen. Period."
However, observers from both major political parties remained inside the election center as ballots were processed and counted, and the procedure was live-streamed online at all times.
Shortly after, the building was shut down to the media and the public amid safety concerns as numbers of protestors swelled outside.
Arizona, previously held by Donald Trump, has called for Joe Biden in the 2020 election by AP.
07:17 AM
Election splits Congress, GOP bolstered as Democrats falter
The election scrambled seats in the House and Senate but ultimately left Congress much like it began, deeply split as voters resisted big changes despite the heated race at the top of the ticket for the White House.
It is an outcome that dampens Democratic demands for a bold new agenda, emboldens Republicans and almost ensures partisan gridlock regardless of who wins the presidency. Or perhaps, as some say, it provides a rare opening for modest across-the-aisle cooperation.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on track to keep control of the Democratic House, but saw her majority shrinking and her leadership called into question. Control of the Senate tilted Republicans' way as they fended off an onslaught of energised challengers, though a few races remained undecided Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he's confident "no matter who ends up running the government" they'll be "trying to overcome all that and get results."
The dismal outcome for congressional Democrats put in question the ambitious plans for legislative overhauls pushed by the party, eager for a sweep of Washington government.
Even if Democrats capture the White House and a narrowly split Senate, Ms Pelosi's leverage to force deal-making on her terms will be diminished by her House losses.
If Donald Trump wins another term, his Republican allies particularly in the Senate will likely feel more comfortable sticking with him after escaping an electoral wipeout, though they have yet to outline a GOP agenda.
The 2020 US election has entered its final stages but whoever wins the White House won’t be governing alone, as laws in the US are voted on by both the House of Representatives and Senate, Congress’s two chambers.
Check back here regularly to see the latest results live as they come in.
Reverend Bianca Davis-Lovelace of the Washington State Poor People's Campaign speaks at a rally and march to "Count Every Vote, Protect Every Person" in Seattle, Washington - AFP
06:31 AM
Police arrest 10 protesters in Portland, 50 in New York
Police in the city of Portland made arrests and seized fireworks, hammers and a rifle after late night demonstrations, as Oregon Governor Kate Brown activated the state's National Guard in response to "widespread violence" on the night after voting in the US presidential election.
Portland Police said it arrested ten people in the demonstrations after declaring riots in the city's downtown area while the New York Police Department said it made about 50 arrests in protests that spread in the city late on Wednesday.
Demonstrations were also seen in a few other US cities on Wednesday night as activists demanding that vote counts proceed unimpeded rallied in several cities, including Atlanta, Detroit, New York, and Oakland.
Election protesters gathered at the Times Square in New York - Anadolu
05:58 AM
Just waking up?
Here's the latest from the US this morning.
Donald Trump has won: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Joe Biden has won: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Still counting:
Pennsylvania (probably Biden, 20 electoral college votes to play for)
Watch: Pennsylvania will 'fight like hell' to count every vote
Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania's governor, has said he will "fight like hell" to make sure every vote in his state is counted.
Twenty electoral college votes are at play in the state and the Trump administration has brought legal action against the state to prevent more votes being counted. Mr Wolf, a Democrat, said the president's actions are a "disgrace":
Watch what he said here:
05:26 AM
Trump's Pennsylvania lead is shrinking
Donald Trump must win Pennsylvania to stay in the White House.
But the president's lead is shrinking as postal votes are counted.
Ninety per cent of the ballots have been counted and Mr Trump leads Joe Biden by 164,414 votes. Earlier on Wednesday that lead was 379,639 votes.
Mr Biden is expected to benefit from postal votes, which will still be counted in the state over the next 48 hours.
Pennsylvania has 20 electoral college votes and victory in his home state would send Mr Biden to the presidency.
Protesters in Philadelphia on Wednesday night - EPA
05:17 AM
Protesters gather in Phoenix
A group of protesters have filled much of the parking lot at the Maricopa County election center, in Phoenix, Arizona, where sheriff's deputies are guarding both the outside of the building and the counting inside.
Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican and staunch Donald Trump supporter, joined the crowd, declaring: "We're not going to let this election be stolen. Period."
However, observers from both major political parties remained inside the election center as ballots were processed and counted, and the procedure was live-streamed online at all times.
AP has already called Arizona for Joe Biden.
A small group has gathered in Phoenix - AP
04:25 AM
Pollsters are 'running a racket'
If you haven't read Jill Lepore's These Truths, now would be a good time. It's a monumental effort of historical scholarship which analyses the values and purported truths that hold together America's sense of itself.
One of Prof Lepore's biggest issues is with the hokum and twaddle that is political polling – and given the events of the past 24 hours in which pollsters once again failed to predict a Trump surge, it looks like the reputation of the industry is in the gutter.
Freddy Gray writes for The Telegraph that "the 2020 cockup is pretty special, however, even by pollster standards":
"The pundit class will forget how they excitedly talked up a Biden landslide for weeks. We shouldn’t let them get away with it. We will, though. The polling industry is chiefly a racket. It hides its biases behind data jargon."
Dozens of supporters of Donald Trump chanting "Stop the count!" descended on a ballot-tallying centre in Detroit on Wednesday night, while thousands of anti-Trump protesters demanding a complete vote count in the still-undecided presidential contest took to the streets in cities across the US.
Michigan has already been called for Mr Biden, but the count is not yet complete.
In New York City, thousands marched past boarded-up luxury stores on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, calling for every vote to be tallied.
The march was largely peaceful, though police said they made at least 20 arrests after a smaller group who were protesting over police misconduct blocked traffic and started fires.
But Mr Trump has called it "a fraud on the American public", claiming the Republicans won the vote and that Democrats are trying to "steal the election".
In a monumental speech at the White House, Mr Trump disputed the results of the election – which are still unknown – as no president has before.
Mr Trump's incendiary words look set to put America on course for an almighty battle over the result of the election.
Donald Trump has won: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Joe Biden has won: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Still counting:
Pennsylvania (probably Biden, 20 electoral college votes to play for)
Donald Trump supporters have turned up in Phoenix, the state capital of Arizona, protesting about the vote.
Some are shouting "Shame on Fox!" after the US news network called the state for Joe Biden, despite unfounded claims from the Republicans that votes have been miscounted.
At least one man in the clip below, which was tweeted by a New York Times reporter, appears to be armed.
Pro-Trump rally starting at Arizona Capitol in Phoenix. At least one guy wielding military-style rifle. Some chanting “Shame on Fox” pic.twitter.com/f4kyzhyFxJ
Joe Biden's campaign have pushed the button on his new website – which is all about his transition to taking power in the White House.
It comes a few hours after we reported that his team were sending emails to supporters asking for money to support the election result if Donald Trump challenges the vote in the courts (see post from 1:02am)
Ben Riley-Smith, The Telegraph's US Editor, has tweeted:
Hmm. Biden camp have sent their transition website live. Race not yet called. Text notes votes still being counted but expect lots more of this Biden acting as victor stuff. pic.twitter.com/KWGGXM54vu
Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden in Georgia – just. There are 107,751 votes still to be counted and the president's lead is only 37,322.
The Democrats are increasingly confident of pinching the state and shoving Mr Biden through the White House porch.
02:15 AM
Biden pledges to rejoin Paris Agreement
Joe Biden has vowed that the US will rejoin the Paris climate accord on his first day in the White House, hours after the withdrawal ordered by Donald Trump took effect.
He tweeted:
Today, the Trump Administration officially left the Paris Climate Agreement. And in exactly 77 days, a Biden Administration will rejoin it. https://t.co/L8UJimS6v2
Don't get ahead of yourself, Joe. Still got that little election to win.
01:46 AM
What's taking so long in Nevada?
As with many states in the US, voting has been severely disrupted by the coronavirus epidemic.
Joe Biden currently leads there by less than one percentage point. But the vote count has been delayed, meaning we are still hours away from knowing how the Silver State has voted.
In Nevada, counties are counting hundreds of thousands of postal votes in an unprecedented wave of remote voting.
Election officials in the state have already counted all in-person early votes, in-person Election Day votes and mail ballots up to November 2. Still to count are mail ballots received on Election Day and ballots received in the next week.
Michigan's secretary of state has said that all votes have now been counted in a state that has been called for Joe Biden.
Michigan - one of the Democrat's target states in the American Midwest - was surprisingly won by Donald Trump in 2016.
Mr Trump has launched a lawsuit against the state, claiming voting has been rigged. Jocelyn Benson, the state's secretary, has called the claim "frivolous".
Dana Nessel, the state's attorney general, insisted both parties and the public had been given access to the tallying "using a robust system of checks and balances to ensure that all ballots are counted fairly and accurately".
01:20 AM
Aussie bookmaker pays out on Biden
Washington does not know the result yet, but a bookmaker in Australia is already paying out on Joe Biden winning the election, Annelies Gartner reports from Perth.
Sportsbet has confirmed it will pay out on a Democrat win, despite the votes not yet being fully counted.
"We’re paying out early on Joe Biden to be elected President of the United States of America," the bookmaker said, insisting they would still payout on Donald Trump if he wins on official result.
The bookmaker said in a statement that it had paid 23 million Australian dollars and over 100,000 bets to punters who backed Mr Biden.
"After CNN projected the state of Michigan would go to the Democrats and holding the ascendancy in Nevada and Arizona, the online bookmaker has deemed the lead unassailable," Sportsbet said.
"We've seen enough, so why make the punters wait?"
01:06 AM
Watch: Trump supporters file suit in Michigan to stop counting
At two convention centres in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Detroit, Michigan armies of volunteers are ploughing on as the world watches with bated breath, Nick Allen and Josie Ensor report.
Mr Trump's campaign has filed a legal challenge to stop the count in Michigan, asserting it had not been allowed to observe ballots being opened.
In Detroit, Michigan emotions boiled over as Republican and Democrat observers poured in to the TCF Center to view the final votes being tallied. Election officials had agreed that 134 observers, known as "election challengers", from each party would be allowed in, but soon reached capacity.
They blocked about 30 people, mostly Republicans, from entering the hall.
Watch Trump supporters trying to get into the hall in the video below:
01:02 AM
Fundraising to fight the election
Fundraising for the coming legal battle over the election results is now in full swing on both sides, reports Laurence Dodds.
On Wednesday Joe Biden's campaign began emailing and texting supporters asking for new money, just as his opponent had done about 12 hours earlier.
Campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon accused Mr Trump of a "naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens" and promised donors that the new "Biden Fight Fund" would be "the biggest and most comprehensive legal effort ever assembled".
It means that both campaigns are now claiming victory and urging their supporters to "defend the election". Only one of them, however, appears to have the numbers on its side.
Biden's campaign is asking supporters for money to challenge the result of the election
12:47 AM
Meanwhile, on planet earth
America's coronavirus crisis may not have been the key issue at the polls that Democrats hoped it would be, but as political turmoil engulfed Washington yesterday the US is a bout to pass a new, grim milestone: 100,000 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The pandemic is spreading quickly across the Midwest while Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota saw leaps of more than 45 per cent in their seven-day average of new cases.
12:41 AM
Beto takes a beating
As Texas Democrats watched in horror as the election results came in last night, former presidential contender Beto O'Rourke tucked himself in for an early night, Margi Murphy reports.
Downcast, Mr O'Rourke told supporters on Wednesday evening: "I walked upstairs early, got in bed and passed out for nine hours. I think my body and my mind knew that it was over... and it was time to acknowledge there was no more that could be done for this election".
Mr O'Rourke's home state took a devastating hit last night as voters chose Donald Trump and Republican incumbents at nearly every place on the ballot, despite record turnout from a variety of voting groups and a last-minute appearance from Kamala Harris.
He is most well known for narrowly losing a Senate bid to Ted Cruz in 2018, inspiring dreams for a blue Texas come 2020.
If anything, 2020 has confirmed that Texas is the worst place to be a Democrat. Another failure to flip it will make it even harder to get precious funding and volunteer's time. It was a hard enough sell just to get the 10,000 volunteers and $2m for the campaign - even when there was hope in the air.
Eighteen months ago, Beto O'Rourke was being backed for a White House run - REUTERS
12:37 AM
Anyone in Georgia?
Rick Barron, the Fulton County director of elections has said his Georgia county are bringing in “more bodies” to help the counting efforts.
If you're near the area and you've got one of those rubber thimbles you put your finger in for counting paper please put your hand up.
12:33 AM
What's the score?
Here's where we are right now.
Donald Trump has won: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Joe Biden has won: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Still counting:
Pennsylvania (probably Biden, 20 electoral college votes to play for)
Donald Trump's campaign has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, laying the groundwork for contesting battleground states as he slipped behind Joe Biden.
The new filings, joining existing Republican legal challenges in Pennsylvania and Nevada, demand better access for campaign observers to locations where ballots are being processed and counted, and absentee ballot concerns, the campaign said.
AP called Michigan for Mr Biden on Wednesday. Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia are undecided.
The Trump campaign is also seeking to intervene in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court that deals with whether ballots received up to three days after the election can be counted.
Mr Trump believes, without proof, that the US election is being stolen by the Democrats.
12:18 AM
Georgia results 'after midnight'
Well, this is a setback for those of you pulling all-nighters - you might need to get some more coffee on. (I'm on cup 16 of 47.)
Officials in Fulton County, in Georgia - which is one of the crucial counties in what is a vital swing state - will not have a clear result until midnight local time (3am UK). Donald Trump has a narrow lead in Georgia but Joe Biden is closing on him as thousands of ballots are counted.
Here's why a Biden win in Georgia would be remarkable:
12:02 AM
Here we go again
Good morning, everyone.
After one of the most chaotic and bizarre days in American political history, we still don't know who is going to be the next president of the United States.
But we have a pretty good idea: predicted results in Wisconsin and Michigan have pushed the balance in Joe Biden's favour. The Democrat addressed the nation, telling them every vote must be counted and that he believed his side were the winners.
He also vowed to face down legal threats from Donald Trump, who is claiming without evidence that the results are a fraud and the election has been "stolen". The president wants to challenge the vote in the Supreme Court and could seek a recount in key states.
Here are the top stories from the American maelstrom:
Five more alternate jurors were selected Friday following questioning from prosecution and defense lawyers, rounding out the 12 jurors and six alternates needed for the case against Trump to proceed.
Former New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson died at the age of 82. He is probably best known exchanging wives with teammate Mike Kekich in the 1970s.
Fantasy baseball analyst Andy Behrens offers up a series of pickups to assist every manager, starting with a duo of Rockies ahead of a Colorado homestand.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman give their early season assessment of all thirty MLB teams at the three week mark, as well as discuss the long-awaited debut of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter.
