White House moves to shut down Donald Trump’s musings on delaying US election

Vote to go ahead on November 3, says Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, adding that president’s earlier comments were to raise concerns over mail-in ballots

Trump’s suggestion to push back election was immediately dismissed by lawmakers, including his own allies in Congress

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US President Donald Trump listens during at the White House on Friday. Photo: AP

Published: 2:56am, 3 Aug 2020Updated: 2:56am, 3 Aug 2020

The White House and Donald Trump’s campaign on Sunday sought to shut down the Republican president’s musings on delaying the 2020 vote, saying there will be an election on November 3.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump was raising concerns about mail-in ballots when he floated the idea of delaying the US vote.

“We’re going to hold an election on November 3 and the president is going to win,” Meadows said on CBS’ Face the Nation.

Presidential campaign adviser Jason Miller echoed the sentiment on Fox News Sunday, saying, “The election is going to be on November 3 and President Trump wants the election to be on November 3.”

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows meets members of the media at the US Capitol on Saturday. Photo: Bloomberg

Trump on Thursday suggested delaying the US elections, an idea immediately rejected by both Democrats and his fellow Republicans in Congress – the sole branch of government with the authority to make such a change.

Critics and even Trump’s allies dismissed the notion as an unserious attempt to distract from devastating economic news, but some legal experts warned that his repeated attacks could undermine his supporters’ faith in the election process.