WASHINGTON – Donald Trump moved within reach of the White House last night, capturing crucial victories over Hillary Clinton in Florida, Ohio and North Carolina, a remarkable show of strength by the celebrity businessman and political novice who upended American politics with his bombastic rhetoric and calls for sweeping change.
A huge underdog going into the election, he also stunningly carried Pennsylvania, breaking through a Democratic firewall in a state that had not backed a Republican for president since 1988. His victories left Clinton with a perilously narrow path and no margin for error in battleground states where votes were still being counted.
As the race lurched well past midnight, Trump inched closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. Trump stood at 264 to Clinton's 215.
But Clinton's campaign chairman sent supporters home just after 2 am. John Podesta told a crowd in New York that with states still uncalled "we're not going to have any-thing else to say tonight." He told the crowd Clinton "has done an amazing job" and "is not done yet."
Dow Jones futures and Asian markets tumbled, reflecting investor alarm over what a Trump presidency might mean for the economy and global trade.
A New York real estate developer who lives in a gold-plated Manhattan penthouse, Trump forged a striking connection with white, working class Americans who feel left behind in a changing economy and diversifying country. He cast immigration, both from Latin America and the Middle East, as the root of the problems plaguing many Americans.
A victory for Trump would threaten many of President Barack Obama's major achievements. The Republican has vowed to repeal Obama's landmark health care law, revoke the nuclear agreement with Iran and rewrite important trade deals with other countries, particularly Mexico and Canada.
Clinton's stunned advisers went silent for long stretches of the night. As the results rolled in, the candidate tweeted to supporters, "Whatever happens tonight, thank you for everything."
Top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway touted the campaign's achievements, writing on Twitter that "rally crowds matter" and "we expanded the map."
Exit polls underscored the deep divisions that have defined the 2016 contest. Women nationwide supported Clinton by a double-digit margin, while men were significantly more likely to back Trump. More than half of white voters backed the Republican, while nearly 9 in 10 blacks and two-thirds of Hispanics voted for the Democrat.
If Trump pulls off the stunning upset, he'll govern with a Congress fully under Republican control. The GOP fended off a Democratic challenge in the Senate, winning key races in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and the party also extended its grip on the House.
Democrats, as well as some Republicans, expected Trump's unconventional candidacy would damage down-ballot races and even flip some reliably red states in the presidential race. But Trump held on to Republican territory, including in Georgia and Utah, where Clinton's campaign confidently invested resources.
Anxious nation
The 45th president will inherit an anxious nation, deeply divided by economic and educational opportunities, race and culture. The economy has rebounded from the depths of recession, though many Americans have yet to benefit. New terror threats from home and abroad have raised security fears.
The Republican Party's tortured relationship with its nominee was evident right up to the end. Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura Bush declined to back Trump, instead selecting "none of the above" when they voted for president, according to spokesman Freddy Ford.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a reluctant Trump supporter, called the businessman earlier in the evening to congratulate him, according to a Ryan spokeswoman.
Trump set both parties on edge when he refused to say in the third and final debate whether he would accept the election's results, citing with no evidence the possibility of a rigged outcome. His statement threatened to undermine a fundamental pillar of American democracy and raised the prospect that his fervent sup-porters would not view Clinton as a legitimate president if she won.
Asked in an interview with Fox News if he would accept the election results, Trump continued to demur, saying "We're going to see how things play out."
Most problems that did pop up at polling places yesterday appeared to be routine – the kinds of snags that come every four years, including long lines, machines not working properly and issues with ballots or voter rolls.
Even before yesterday, almost 45 million people had cast ballots for president. Many expressed relief the end was in sight after an election season in which personal attacks often drowned out the issues.
Clinton has denounced Trump for calling Mexican immigrants "rapists" and promoting a ban on Muslims entering the US, and for his long line of remarks about women that culminated in an audio in which he bragged about grabbing their genitals. Her campaign was hoping high turnout among Hispanics push her over the top in states like Florida and Nevada.
"I grew up in a Hispanic family, and the way that Donald Trump has referred to illegal immigrants –being from illegal immigrants, I took that to heart," said Angel Salazar, a 22-year-old sanitation associate from Oklahoma City.
"I don't like anything that he said. I don't like his views. So I voted for Hillary Clinton because she supports us."