July 30, 2020 By David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement
President Donald Trump’s Thursday morning tweet calling for a delay in the November 2020 presidential election drew immediate concern and outrage from leading experts.
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” the president tweeted, after railing against the proven safe practice. “It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”
Legally, experts say, Trump has no authority to delay an election. Here’s Quinta Jurecic, the managing editor of Lawfare:
Good news, he cannot do this https://t.co/rAA4xSFRBZ
— Quinta Jurecic (@qjurecic) July 30, 2020
But that doesn’t mean he won’t try.
Here’s Matthew Miller, an MSNBC Justice & Security Analyst, formerly the DOJ spokesperson:
Buffoonish, incompetent fascism is still fascism.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) July 30, 2020
David Rothkopf, professor of international relations and visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, calls it “Trump’s most dangerous Tweet ever,” and an “authoritarian power grab.”
This is Trump's most dangerous Tweet ever. And I know that is saying something. It is not within his power to change the date of the election. But that he wants to try should set off alarms everywhere. He is publicly contemplating a dangerous, authoritarian power grab. https://t.co/QhOMi6AlTr
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) July 30, 2020
White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times:
There it is — the president is suggesting that the country delay the election. https://t.co/9YWtmYUzKG
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) July 30, 2020
Legal expert on voting rights:
Trump cannot delay the election. Only Congress, through a new law could do so. In any event, per the US Constitution his term expires noon on January 20. That cannot be moved, period.https://t.co/hqg8j1vGZD https://t.co/K7Cxt3Q2qJ
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) July 30, 2020
CNN White House Correspondent:
Trump is now openly floating delaying the election. https://t.co/0u1bQtgbr3
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 30, 2020
Former head of USDOJ Civil Rights Division:
Trump CANNOT delay the election. Date of the general election is set by federal law, fixed since 1845. It would take a change in federal law – an act of Congress – to move that date.
If he wants people to safely vote, he should urge the Senate to pass $3.6B in election funding. https://t.co/uyoZbjB5rF
— Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) July 30, 2020
Former Director of the Office of Government Ethics:
We all knew it was coming to this. Make no mistake about it: Any announcement of a delay of the election will be a declaration of war against America by our criminal president. https://t.co/fIAE4spGWd
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) July 30, 2020
Dartmouth Political Science Professor
So dangerous. Straight out of the authoritarian playbook. https://t.co/zVJRrp6F9L
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) July 30, 2020
ABC News Reporter/Producer:
Joe Biden, April 23: "Mark my words: I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow; come up with some rationale why it can't be held."
President Trump, April 27: "I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would I do that?"
July 30: https://t.co/NXMXztlZCV
— Ben Siegel (@benyc) July 30, 2020
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) July 30, 2020
CNN White House Correspondent:
Trump is now openly floating delaying the election. https://t.co/0u1bQtgbr3
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 30, 2020
Former head of USDOJ Civil Rights Division:
Trump CANNOT delay the election. Date of the general election is set by federal law, fixed since 1845. It would take a change in federal law – an act of Congress – to move that date.
If he wants people to safely vote, he should urge the Senate to pass $3.6B in election funding. https://t.co/uyoZbjB5rF
— Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) July 30, 2020
Former Director of the Office of Government Ethics:
We all knew it was coming to this. Make no mistake about it: Any announcement of a delay of the election will be a declaration of war against America by our criminal president. https://t.co/fIAE4spGWd
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) July 30, 2020
Dartmouth Political Science Professor
So dangerous. Straight out of the authoritarian playbook. https://t.co/zVJRrp6F9L
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) July 30, 2020
ABC News Reporter/Producer:
Joe Biden, April 23: "Mark my words: I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow; come up with some rationale why it can't be held."
President Trump, April 27: "I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would I do that?"
July 30: https://t.co/NXMXztlZCV
— Ben Siegel (@benyc) July 30, 2020
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