Trump won't declare early victory but will go 'in with our lawyers' after the election

President Trump said a report that claimed he would declare an early victory on election night if it looks like he's ahead was "false," but he will be prepared to start a legal battle to cut off collecting ballots.

"No, no, that was a false report," Trump told reporters Sunday night.

Three sources familiar with the president's private comments told Axios the president has considered the scenario over the past few weeks, saying that he would "walk up to a podium on election night and declare he's won."

The president's allies say he would either need to win or "have commanding leads" in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Iowa, Arizona, and Georgia.