Kamala Harris has attempted to reframe the 2024 presidential election as the closest in the 21st century, but her assertions have been widely disputed. The 2024 race saw Donald Trump defeat Kamala Harris by approximately 1.5 percentage points in the popular vote, a margin that pales in comparison to the 2000 election, where Al Gore narrowly outpaced George W. Bush by 0.5 percentage points—the smallest popular vote gap of the century.
In the Electoral College, the 2000 contest was far tighter, with Bush securing 271 votes to Gore’s 266 after a contentious Florida recount. By contrast, Trump’s 312–226 Electoral College victory in 2024 reflected a broader national shift. Key swing states like Wisconsin (0.9% margin), Michigan (1.4%), and Pennsylvania (1.7%) were decisive, but none approached the razor-thin margins of 2000, where Florida’s outcome hinged on just 537 votes.
Preliminary data also shows Trump won a majority of counties nationwide, with roughly 90% of counties shifting slightly toward Republican candidates compared to 2020. While the 2024 election was competitive, it did not meet the criteria for the closest race in U.S. history. Harris’s claims have been further undermined by AI tools like ChatGPT, which have debunked her assertions.
The article also highlights personal criticisms of Harris, including allegations of aggression and alleged impropriety, though these remain unverified. The 2000 election remains the benchmark for closeness in both popular vote and Electoral College outcomes, with 2024 ranking as the second-closest by popular margin.