US Presidential Election: Trump Scores Surprise Win in Key States
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Republican Donald Trump scored a series of shocking wins in battleground US states including Florida and Ohio on Tuesday, opening a path to the White House for the political outsider and rattling world markets that had counted on a win by Democrat Hillary Clinton.
With investors worried a Trump victory could cause economic and global uncertainty, the US dollar sank and stock markets plummeted in wild Asian trading. Opinion polls before Election Day had given Clinton a slim lead.
Trump surged to wins in Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina, and reports projected a win for him in Wisconsin. With voting completed in 49 of the 50 US states, he also narrowly led in Michigan and New Hampshire, edging him closer to 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the state-by-state fight for the White House, Reuters reported.
Clinton still had ways to reach 270 electoral votes, but she would have to sweep the remaining battleground states including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada, and pull off an upset win in Arizona.
Trump captured conservative states in the South and Midwest, while Clinton swept several states on the East Coast and Illinois in the Midwest.
According to the latest figures, Trump has won 240 Electoral College votes so far, while Clinton has secured only 215.