NEW YORK – Diane Sawyer’s Election Night performance left some viewers asking if she had begun celebrating Tuesday’s election a bit early. Co-anchoring ABC News’ coverage, the veteran journalist struck a different manner from her practiced, straight-news-delivering style.

Sawyer spoke more slowly than usual while seeming to prop herself on outstretched arms at the anchor desk she shared with George Stephanopoulos.

“OK,” she said at one point around 10 p.m. EST, “I wanna – can we have our music, because this is another big one here? Minnesota, we’re ready to project Minnesota, rrright now. … Well, tonight we know that President Barack has won Minnesota,” she rambled on, stumbling over the president’s name.

Maybe Sawyer was just weary from the recent torrent of news.

In any case, the Twitterverse took quick notice and began cracking wise. Her name was soon trending with unflattering posts, while a new Twitter handle, Drunk Diane Sawyer, collected hundreds of followers. An ABC spokesman did not comment.

“A bit tipsy,” “hammered” or “on pain killers, muscle relaxers, benzos or some combination” were among the jeering explanations. Another likened it to an episode of HBO’s drama “The Newsroom,” where Will McAvoy, the fictitious anchorman, had eaten a couple of pot brownies before unexpectedly being summoned to his anchor desk to report a news story.

Some tweeters joked that a more fun-loving Sawyer was a ploy by ABC to boost viewership. Several Twitter followers said they were drawn to the network by word that Sawyer was behaving, by one description, “a bit wacky.”

Gaga gives $1 million in Sandy aid

NEW YORK – Lady Gaga is donating $1 million to the Red Cross to aid those affected by Superstorm Sandy.

The New York-born singer posted on her blog Wednesday that she is pledging the money on behalf of her parents and sister. She also said she “would not be the woman or artist that I am today” if it weren’t for places like the Lower East Side, Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn.

She writes: “Thank you for helping me build my spirit. I will now help you rebuild yours.”

Superstorm Sandy made landfall more than a week ago, killing many of its more than 100 victims in New York City and New Jersey and leaving millions without power. Lady Gaga added that New York is a place full of “relentless ambition.”

Trump deletes some of his election tweets

LOS ANGELES – Donald Trump has deleted some of the Twitter tirade he posted following President Barack Obama’s re-election, and added new critiques of NBC’s Brian Williams.

Trump began tweeting before the election was called that it was “a total sham and a travesty.” After news outlets projected that Obama won the election, Trump tweeted, “Well, back to the drawing board!” He posted more than 10 angry tweets, declaring “our nation is a once great nation divided” and “the world is laughing at us.” He encouraged a “revolution in this country.” Williams showed some of Trump’s tweets on air, saying he had “driven well past the last exit to relevance and veered into something closer to irresponsible.” Trump tweeted a retort on Wednesday saying Williams “knows that I think his newscast has become totally boring so he took a shot at me last night.” He added, “Wouldn’t you love to have my ratings?”

He also deleted some of Tuesday night’s tirade, including tweets calling for a revolution.

– From news service reports