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US Elections 2020: Trump refuses peaceful power transition post elections

 

There have been consistent concerns that President Trump may not peacefully hand over his office if he loses in November elections. The concerns were reinforced on Wednesday when he said that he would not commit to peaceful transition of power after Election Day. “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens,” President Donald Trump said in White House news conference when was asked of his commitment to peaceful transition of power which is one of the cornerstones of American democracy. Earlier on many occasions Trump has refused to directly comment on whether he would accept the election results. He also has jokingly said that he would stay in office well beyond the two terms, which is in contrast to maximum two terms allowed constitutionally. But his latest refusal to guarantee to transition free of violence has gone further down the road, likely to alarm Democrats and his critics who are already on edge with his sheer will to deploy federal law enforcements to handle country-wide protests recently.

 

President Donald Trump and his administration have maintained their concerns regarding mail-in ballots and its authenticity – asserting it to be more of an illegitimate election. The claims of mail-in ballot to be a fraud have been a direct indication of Trump’s sentiments towards this year’s elections. “You know that I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster,” President Trump said at a recent White House press briefing.

 

“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very…there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There’ll be a continuation. The ballots are out of control.” Trump’s insinuation directs that if ballots stay then he will lose, that will be illegitimate election, and he won’t take the path of peaceful transition of power. That’s enough reasons to question Trump’s modus operandi post November outcome.

 

Trump’s hasty move to replace Supreme Court justice position vacant after demise of Ruth Bader Ginsburg are also raising questions. GOP is going against the precedent set by it in 2016 of not appointing justice when Obama was in office. Now the fact that it is hell bent in moving forward with the appointment is controversial. Trump has himself revealed that his interest in appointing his nominee for the post is largely to tilt the scale to his side if November results warrant so.

 

Sen. Mitt Romney, Utah Republican, who vowed to vote for Trump’s Supreme Court justice nominee has slammed President’s Wednesday comments. He tweeted, “Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus. Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.”

 

Democrats have criticized the recent statements made by President Trump. His Democratic opponent former Vice President Joe Biden called Trump’s statement as “irrational”. Biden’s campaign said that they are prepared for all the shenanigans Trump would throw.

 

Every elections in the history of the United States of America have seen graceful acceptance of election results by both the Presidential contestants, and with always a peaceful transition of power. The statements by President Trump are on the contrast side, indicating a distasteful approach to fair elections and results.

 

 

 

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