UPDATE - Trump pulling ahead as US election enters final hours

ADDS LATEST FIGURES, PODESTA ADDRESS

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – Republican nominee Donald Trump is leading Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton heading into the early morning hours Wednesday.

He is now up 266 - 218 electoral college votes as he inches closer to the White House, but Clinton is not out of the race just yet with increasingly critical electors still in play as the nominees fight to reach the 270 needed to secure the presidency.

Trump’s successes come as a surprise to many who saw a Clinton victory as all but assured heading into Election Day.

Coming off a loss in North Carolina, which was thought to be relatively secure for the Democratic nominee, Clinton will now have to work to shore up her chances with victories in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Addressing supporters in New York, campaign manager John Podesta said Clinton would not make any public remarks for the rest of the night, but did not concede defeat.

“We’re still counting votes and every vote should count.” Podesta said as he urged supporters to go home.

To be sure, this race has been one of the most divisive in recent history with partisans on either side viewing the race as an existential imperative.

Earlier Tuesday, Anadolu Agency spoke with voters in Washington, DC, Virginia and New York to gauge the electorate.

Clinton is "the enemy of the American people," said Ron Kokinda, a 67-year-old Virginia resident who did not disclose his ballot choice.

"I voted Hillary just because I want Trump to be embarrassed,” said Adam Brooks, who spoke to Anadolu Agency at Public School 59 in Manhattan where Trump voted earlier in the day.