Who did the Chicago Tribune mistakenly declare the winner over President Truman in the 1948 election?
Thomas Dewey
Henry A. Wallace
Adlai Stevenson
Dwight D. Eisenhower
In one of the most famous blunders in American political history, the Chicago Tribune erroneously declared Thomas E. Dewey the winner over incumbent President Harry S. Truman in the 1948 presidential election. The newspaper’s headline, “Dewey Defeats Truman,” became a lasting symbol of premature reporting. The Tribune’s editors, relying on early returns and polling data, assumed a Dewey victory was inevitable, leading them to print the headline before final results were confirmed. However, Truman mounted a surprising comeback, winning a decisive electoral victory and securing a second term.
Correct Answer: Thomas Dewey