TRUMP WANTS TO DELAY POLL
Remarks come after record plunge in economy, poor jobs data
US President Donald Trump, lagging in the polls and confronted by fresh evidence of an economic collapse an an escalating public health crisis, on Thursday suggested delaying the November election as he pushed unsubstantiated allegations that increased mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic will result in fraud.
WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump kicked up a storm on Thursday with a suggestion to delay the November 3 election until people can vote “properly, securely and safely” in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also cited possible fraud as a reason for the suggestion.
“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 USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” he tweeted.
Trump has alleged that mail-in voting could lead to large-scale fraud, despite the fact that he himself and many of his aides have voted by mail in the past.
The pushback from critics was swift. “Never in American history - not even during the Civil War and World War II - has there been a successful move to delay the election for president,” wrote
Michael Beschloss, an expert on US presidential history.
Ellen L Weintraub, a member of the Federal Election Commission, said, “No, Mr President. No. You don’t have the power to move the election. Nor should it be moved. States and localities are asking you and Congress for funds, so they can properly run the safe and secure elections all Americans want. Why don’t you work on that?”
Critics says the tweet was a tactic to distract people from the continuing devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is raging through the southern and western parts of the country.
His comments also came just after new data revealed a record plunge for the economy and a bleak jobs situation. The economy plunged by a record 32.9% annual rate last quarter.
The contraction in April-June came as the viral outbreak pushed already struggling businesses to close for a second time in many parts of the country, sending unemployment surging to nearly 15%.
The fall in the gross domestic product was the sharpest on record dating back to 1947.
The previous worst quarterly contraction, a 10% drop, had occurred in 1958 during the Eisenhower administration.
TRUMP HAS ALLEGED THAT MAIL-IN VOTING COULD LEAD TO LARGESCALE FRAUD, DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE HIMSELF AND MANY OF HIS AIDES HAVE VOTED BY MAIL IN THE PAST