Lichtman failed to predict the correct outcome of the presidential election

He was wrong.

Allan Lichtman, the historian who predicted 9 of the last 10 elections, was unable to accurately predict who voters would choose to be the 47th President of the United States.

IN stunning political comebackex-president Donald Trump defeated the vice president and the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris To take back the White House Tuesday evening.

“Right now, after a very long night, I’m taking a break to evaluate why I was wrong and what the future holds for America,” Lichtman told USA TODAY Wednesday morning.

Lichtman, the American University professor, predicted Harris would narrowly defeat Trump.

Trump, who lost the 2020 election that brought President Joe Biden to the presidency, has overcome political obstacles, including two impeachments, a criminal conviction and two attempted assassinations.

At the end almost six hour podcast On Tuesday, the 77-year-old history professor, organized by his son Samuel Lichtman, said he was shocked by the election results.

“At a certain point, mathematics ceases to be mathematics.”

The famous soothsayer had said that his system is “13 keys” indicated that Harris would win.

Using his system, the 77-year-old has correctly predicted the outcome of every presidential election since 1984. His only blemish came in 2000, when Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore.

“This is probably the most important election of my life,” Lichtman said at the beginning of the interview, which was watched by more than 1.1 million viewers. “The fate of our country hangs in the balance here. Democracy is precious, but it can be destroyed.”

Lichtman said national exit polls showed democracy was becoming the top issue among voters, with the economy still at the top, followed by issues such as abortion (14%) and immigration (11%).

“If she can do well in Pennsylvania, she still has a good chance,” Lichtman said just before the final hour of the show before the Nevada results came in. “She’s running out of voices.”

“At some point, math stops being math,” his son said toward the end of the interview. “This show is just crazy… I think we’re both a little surprised.”

Lichtman: “I think she lost”

For the last hour, while Lichtman and his son were analyzing votes in the swing state of Pennsylvania, his son called the election.

“I think she lost,” his son said in the final 10 minutes of the show.

“Me too,” Lichtman responded immediately and put both hands to his temples. “Something ridiculous was going to happen… I’m still waiting for the Pennsylvania miracle, but I don’t think it’s going to happen here.”

“I got a lot of really nice letters,” Lichtman told his son. “They say that no matter what happens, they respect my voice very much.”

“The math doesn’t work,” Lichtman said. “The numbers don’t lie.”

“I can’t believe it,” his son said. “I’m kind of in shock right now… I just can’t believe it after this guy has basically already tried to destroy our democracy and these people should give him another chance.”

His father replied: “It’s hard to believe.”

The professor then left the audience with his final words for the evening:

“Never lose hope. Never stop fighting,” Lichtman said before ending the podcast. “Democracy is worth saving… even if things didn’t go as you expected tonight. Don’t despair. The future is still in your hands. Good night”.

The provisional votes were expected to be counted Wednesday.

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Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her at X @nataliealund.