Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016, and he’s likely to squeak by again — especially after Joe Biden’s ill-advised remark at the final debate that he wants to “transition” away from fossil fuels, which directly threatens the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of workers in a place where fracking has revitalized the economy…

Trump has several hidden advantages. As in 2016, there are uncounted numbers of shy Trump voters who avoid pollsters and refrain from visible signs of support out of safety concerns. Second, there are patriotic Democrats appalled by the hard left turn their party has taken and who will vote to pull the nation back from the brink. Finally, there’s Trump’s lackluster opponent, Joe Biden — a corrupt, cardboard cutout running a front-porch campaign from his Delaware basement.

This year, early voting will set a new record: already, some 80 million Americans, nearly 60 percent of 2016’s total turnout have cast ballots. Among these in the 20 states that report party registration are 18.2 million Democrats and 11.5 million Republicans.

Early voting generally favors the Democrats, but in several states Trump needs to win, including Florida and North Carolina, Republicans are closing the gap.