Donald Trump’s talk of rejecting US election result evokes chaos scenarios
- President’s campaign reportedly considering strategy for citing voting irregularities to reject victory by Democratic rival Joe Biden
- Shift to mail-in votes also means Trump could appear to have won on Election Day but ultimately lose when absentee ballots are later tallied, creating confusion
As US President Donald Trump, backed by his army of lawyers, has laid groundwork to undermine an election result that does not cast him as victor, Republican lawmakers found themselves in the astonishing position on Thursday of having to reassure Americans there would be a peaceful transition of power should he lose.
The Republican-controlled Senate went so far as to pass a resolution saying as much. Meanwhile, amid the furor over Trump’s latest, most brazen remarks, it became clearer just how the constitutional crisis could play out should the president be defeated and persuade his allies to join him in rejecting the vote tallies.
Such a crisis still seems unlikely; Trump’s success in such a scenario would hinge on his persuading Republican-controlled legislatures in swing states to embrace his unfounded claims of fraud. Yet voting experts worry should the election result be close.
The anxiety intensified Wednesday, as Trump declared he would not commit to a peaceful transition if some states continue to send all registered voters mail-in ballots, which is the law in several places.
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Trump vs Biden: The 2020 US presidential election
According to a report in The Atlantic, the campaign has spoken with at least one Republican leader in Pennsylvania about the possibility of citing voting irregularities to reject a win by former vice-president Joe Biden there and have the state legislature direct the state’s electors to back Trump. It is a strategy Trump could also pursue in other states.