Waleed Aly has surprised his fellow The Project panelists by predicting that Kamala Harris will defeat Donald Trump to become the next president of the United States just hours before voters go to the polls.
The Gold Logie-winning host, who is in the US capital Washington DC to cover the presidential race, made the surprise claim on the Channel Ten show on Tuesday night.
Fellow panelist Kate Langbroek put him on the spot, asking who would get the keys to the White House.
“There’s no point in having you unless you give us a name,” Langbroek told him.
‘Who’s going to win?’
Without hesitation, Aly replied, ‘Kamala Harris. There is a name.’
Langbroek appeared surprised when his fellow co-presenters Hamish Macdonald, Sarah Harris and comedian Sam Taunton gasped.
‘Oh, really!’ Langbroek said.
Panelist and popular radio host Kate Langbroek (pictured) seemed surprised when Waleed Aly made the shocking prediction.
—Is it a bet, Waleed? -Sarah Harris asked.
Aly went on to explain his prediction, even though polls say the election is still too close to call.
‘My theory is that Trump has fewer ways to win. “Kamala has a little more room for error in terms of who she goes to and who she might go to,” he said.
“Where Trump is really targeting a particular type of voter, especially a male voter (and) especially a young voter.”
“The problem they have is that they are not people who normally go to vote.”
Aly went on to admit that Trump can win if certain factors tilt in his favor, including if the voters he targeted during the election campaign show up and vote for him.
Waleed Aly (pictured) is in Washington DC, the US capital, to cover the presidential race.
Aly believes Democratic candidate Kamala Harris (pictured) has a better chance of winning because her opponent Donald Trump has fewer ways to achieve victory.
‘This is such a strange election. “There are so many elements of the electoral bloc that could break and vote in a way that is not expected,” Aly said.
Nearly 80 million Americans have cast their votes on the final day of the election.
Vice President and Democratic nominee Ms Harris and her Republican rival Mr Trump ended their respective election campaigns in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday.
Both candidates need to win 270 of the 538 Electoral College votes covering each of the 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
Harris is vying to make history as the first female president of the United States.
Harris and Trump (center in photo) need to win 270 of the 538 Electoral College votes that cover each of the 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
Harris entered the race after President Joe Biden withdrew following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in June.
Trump, who survived two assassination attempts, would become the first convicted felon to sit in the Oval Office if he wins.
The former president has also been impeached twice while in office from 2017 to 2021.
A winner could be declared on Wednesday afternoon AEDT.