Trump to Demand Recount in Wisconsin

The Trump campaign announced that it will "immediately" request a recount in Wisconsin, a crucial state for Republicans where Democratic nominee Joe Biden currently holds a razor-thin lead.

"The President is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will immediately do so," campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a Wednesday statement.

Biden leads Trump in the state by about 20,000 votes—0.7 percent of 3.2 million ballots cast—according to the New York Times. Under Wisconsin law, a campaign must be within 1 percent to request a recount, which will cost Trump roughly $3 million should the current margin hold. The cost is refunded if the recount changes the election's outcome.

Trump earned a surprise narrow victory in the state in 2016, defeating failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by about 23,000 votes. Green Party nominee Jill Stein successfully pushed for a recount, which cost $1.8 million. Trump's win was reaffirmed.

In his statement, Stepien also criticized the "ridiculous public polling" in Wisconsin, where Biden was projected to defeat Trump by 6.7 points, according to the Real Clear Politics average. He cited "reports of irregularities" in the state's vote tabulation that could call the result into question.

"Despite ridiculous public polling used as a voter suppression tactic, Wisconsin has been a razor thin race as we always knew that it would be," Stepien said. "There have been reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results."

The campaign has also filed suit to stop vote-counting in Michigan where Republicans have been denied "meaningful access to numerous counting locations." Trump, who pulled off an upset victory in the state in 2016, trails Biden by fewer than 50,000 votes.