Trump floats idea of delaying election
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, lagging in the polls and confronted by fresh evidence of an economic collapse and an escalating public health crisis, on Thursday suggested delaying the Nov. 3 presidential election as he pushed unsubstantiated allegations that increased mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic will result in fraud.
It was the first time Trump publicly raised the idea of pushing back the balloting. Shifting the election is virtually impossible, but the mere suggestion of delay was extraordinary in a nation that has held itself up as a beacon to the world for its history of peaceful transfer of power, including during the Civil War, the Great Depression and World War II, and marked another bracing attempt by Trump to undermine confidence in the American political system.
The date of the presidential election — the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year — is enshrined in federal law and would require an act of Congress to change, including agreement from the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Regardless, the Constitution makes no provisions for a delay in the end of Trump's term — noon on Jan. 20, 2021.
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”
But U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said he didn't agree with the suggestion.“I do not support moving the presidential election and the president does not have the unilateral authority to do so. However, the president is right to point out that universally mailing ballots to people who don't request them is a horrible idea and would likely lead to voter fraud,” Toomey said in a prepared statement.
And U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said, “The Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate federal elections. Any change would require a federal statute passed by both the House and Senate. Despite his autocratic inclinations, the president lacks the power to unilaterally change the date of the election. But we should not let President Trump's autocratic ramblings distract us from the public health and economic crises facing our nation. The GDP fell by 33 percent... over 17 million Americans are unemployed and more than 150,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19.”Trump's tweet came just minutes after the government reported that the U.S. economy shrank at a dizzying 32.9 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, by far the worst quarterly plunge ever, as the coronavirus outbreak shut down businesses, threw tens of millions out of work and sent unemployment surging to 14.7 percent.Republican governor, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, quickly shot down Trump's idea: “Make no mistake: the election will happen in New Hampshire on Nov. 3. End of story. Our voting system in NH is secure, safe, and reliable. We have done it right 100 percent of the time for 100 years — this year will be no different.”Other Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, swiftly rejected the idea.“He has absolutely no power to do this,” said Wendy Weiser, director of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU's Law School. “And Congress is not going to vote to change the statute that has governed for decades and decades when and how we hold elections. This is just sowing chaos.”Last month, Trump told supporters in Arizona that, “This will be, in my opinion, the most corrupt election in the history of our country.”There appears to be next-to-no appetite in the Capitol for a change to the Nov. 3 election. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi replied to Trump's tweet by tweeting a quote from the Constitution assigning Congress the power to set the timing of elections.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not respond to questions about Trump's tweet on the way to the Senate floor Thursday morning.Just months ago, in April, Trump had ruled out the prospect of trying to change the election. “I never even thought of changing the date of the election,” he said. “Why would I do that? Nov. 3. It's a good number. No, I look forward to that election.”Eric Jankiewicz contributed to this report.
