DELAY? NO WAY
Democrats AND Republicans have rare bipartisan moment in rejecting Trump’s election delay suggestion
DEMOCRATS and Republicans have had a rare bipartisan moment in rejecting Donald Trump's election delay suggestion.
reasoned on Thursday morning that pushing back the upcoming would be safer and more secure for American voters.
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Trump wrote: "With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.
";It will be a great embarrassment to the . Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???"
However, Trump does not have the power to change the election date.
Only can change the date for the general election by law as they are granted authority by the Constitution.
Trump's comments came as:
- The United States reported an
- The will not be leaving
- Barack Obama
- Pelosi orders coronavirus
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Since 1845, the appointment of presidential electors has been required to take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
The 2020 presidential election is set to take place on November 3.
At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, was on whether Trump could change the election date.
"I haven't looked into that question, under the Constitution," the Attorney General replied.
The US has never before postponed a presidential election - even during the Civil War and the pandemic of 1918.
House Speaker reposted Trump's tweet just hours later, with the caption: "Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states:
"'The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.'"
In Senator Lamar Alexander's comments, he reminded reporters that if a president is not elected by January 20, Pelosi would take the position by default.
"If we were to delay the election past January 20, the president would be the speaker of the House," he said.
"So I wonder if anyone’s thought about that. I'm just going to go check the Constitution to make sure I didn’t misread it."
Senate Majority Leader told WNKY that the election date is set in stone.
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"Never in the history of the country, through wars, depressions, and the Civil War have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time, and we’ll find a way to do that again this November 3 …
"We’ll cope with whatever the situation is and have the election on November 3 as already scheduled."
Senate Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley of also told reporters: "It doesn't matter what an individual in this country says.
"We still are a country based on the rule of law, we must follow the law until either the Constitution is changed or until the law is changed."
During his weekly press conference, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said "no way" should the election be delayed.
"I understand the president’s concern with mail-in voting, which is different than absentee voting.
"But never in the history of federal elections have we not held an election, and we should go forward with our election."
Senator Marco Rubio said that the president needs to stick to the law.
"He can suggest whatever he wants. The law is what it is," Rubio said.
"We're going to have an election that's legitimate, it's going to be credible, it's going to be the same as we've always done it."
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Senator Ted Cruz told a CNN reporter: "I think election fraud is a serious problem. But no, we should not delay."
Senator Kevin Gramer took a direct hit at Trump, telling the outlet: "I think that if you guys take the bait he'll be the happiest guy in town.
"I read it. I laughed I thought my gosh this is going to consume a lot of people, except real people. And it was clever."
Representative Rodney Davis also confirmed that the date of the election will not be moved.
He tweeted: "There will be no delay in the #2020Election. Congress sets the election date, and it should not be changed.
"It will be held on November 3rd, as planned and required by law."
Senator John Barrasso said: "We are not going to delay the election. … We're going to have the election completed and voting completed by Election Day."
Senator Lindsey Graham simply said that he does not thinking moving the election would be a "particularly good idea."
Senator Mitt Romney said that he is a "fan of voting by mail" and added that "of course we are going to have an election on time.
"It's unthinkable that that would not be the case."
Senator Thom Tillis suggested that the election will go ahead, but that the "resources" need to be available to avoid a "debacle."
He said: "The election is not going to be delayed in spite of the fact that several states delayed the election but we got to make sure that we have the resources and we don't have the debacle that we're seeing in say, the state of . The election is going to happen in November, period."
The president has and has vented his distrust for the mail-in voting system on social media this week.
On Tuesday, he warned users that "Mail-In Voting, unless changed by the courts, will lead to the most CORRUPT ELECTION in our Nation's History! #RIGGEDELECTION."
However, and redirected users to "official voting info."
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The following evening he wrote: " Mail-In voting is in a disastrous state of condition. Votes from many weeks ago are missing - a total mess. They have no idea what is going on.
"Rigged Election. I told you so. Same thing would happen, but on massive scale, with USA. Fake News refuses to report!"
Just hours before announcing that he wants to change the election date, he fumed: "Mail-In Voting is already proving to be a catastrophic disaster. Even testing areas are way off.
"The talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race.
"Even beyond that, there's no accurate count!"
Earlier this month, claimed that if he loses the presidential election to rival .
Clinton - who has frequently taken aim at Trump after being beaten by him in 2016 - said the needs to "be ready" for the possibility that he will refuse to leave in November.
Speaking to Trevor Noah on , she said a loss could see the US president try to undermine the legitimacy of the election.
Clinton said: "I think it is a fair point to raise as to whether or not, if he loses, he’s going to go quietly or not.
"And we have to be ready for that."
Clinton added that Trump's repeated warnings of mass voting fraud through mail-in ballots were false.
She said: "There have been so many academic studies and other analyses, which point out that it’s just an inaccurate, fraudulent claim. There isn't that problem."
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The has seen calls for mail-in voting to cut down the numbers of people queuing up to vote.
But Trump, who voted by post in primary in March, is strongly against the system.
After winning the Electoral College, but not the popular vote in 2016, he claimed millions of had voted illegally.
He has said that voting by post "increases the risk of " and allows people to "cheat."
Trump also tweeted in May this year: "There is no way (zero!) that mail-in ballots will be anything less than substantially fraud.
"Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged and even illegally printed out and fraudulently signed.
"The Governor of California is sending ballots to millions of people, anyone living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there, will get one.
"That will be followed up with professionals telling all of these people, many of whom have never even thought of voting before, how, and for whom, to vote. This will be a rigged election. No way!"
But voting fraud is rare - and Trump’s push for in-person voting during the pandemic contradicts guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which urges people to socially distance and to avoid crowds of more than 10 people.
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Former President has also slammed Trump’s argument that postal votes would lead to widespread fraud.
He tweeted: “Voting by mail shouldn’t be a partisan issue - especially during a pandemic.
“Everybody should be able to request an absentee ballot, and make their voice heard in every election.”
Trump rails against mail-in voting at coronavirus briefing - despite mailing his vote for Florida Republican primary
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