Trump claims election results won't be known until after November 3, hints at long-drawn legal battle
President Donald Trump on Friday, September 25, left his opponents in a deep concern by saying the winner of the upcoming presidential election will not be known on Election Day (November 3) itself. His words gave enough hint that the two major parties are most likely to lock horns over a long-drawn dispute. Recently, the president indicated that he would not commit to a peaceful transition of power and that the election would end up at the Supreme Court to find a result. The president has also made a quick nomination to the Supreme Court to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg so that the judicial body has a full bench to decide the presidential election outcome.
Trump’s words have added to the opponents’ speculation that he may not relinquish his office even if he loses the November election, something that would be unprecedented in the world’s oldest democracy. The president has been vocal against the use of mail-in ballots for the big election predicting widespread malpractice and has repeatedly accused the Democrats of rigging the poll. Recently, his charges found support in a claim made by a top federal prosecutor that “discarded” ballots cast in the president’s favor were recently found in Pennsylvania and an investigation was launched. Even though Trump is trailing his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, in several key states ahead of the election, he feels he will be a clear winner if the ballots are removed, presumably referring to the mail-in ballot system which has got support because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump made his remarks over the election remaining undecided at a rally in Atlanta on Friday where he said: “You’re not going to see it November 3. Democrats are playing games. You see that.” He then added: “But you’re going to raising the hand if not November 3, hopefully shortly thereafter. I know you’re going to be raising your hand, with me we may end up in a dispute for a long time because that’s the way they want it. But we’re going to end up winning, that’s for sure.”
The mercurial president also ridiculed the idea of staying beyond the Constitution’s restrictions that would allow him to serve two terms at most. “I told you he's a dictator! He will not give up power! Under no circumstances will he give up power. He intends to serve at least two more terms,” Trump said in a sarcastic note. “Will we be president in 10 years?” Trump asked, before claiming that he was joking. “You know, you can’t joke, [The media] always cut it before the laugh so they think he’s serious,” he said and saw the crowd chanting “12 more years!” Trump grinned in return.
The president also brought up the issue of nine “discarded” military ballots been found in Pennsylvania to attack his opponents. “You see they found ballots in a wastepaper basket. They found ballots dumped in a stream. Take a look at Iowa, the primaries. They tried this ballot concept and they still don’t know who won. It’s a very terrible thing that’s happening, very very terrible thing,” Trump complained.
Eric Trump defends his father
Trump’s son Eric, who helps in running the Trump Organization, defended the former saying the president would vacate the seat if he lost to Biden in a blowout. He, however, said that Trump would content the election outcomes if “massive frauds” were found in the electoral process.
“I think my father's just saying listen, if he got blown out of the water, of course he'd concede,” Eric said at a Trump campaign event in Las Vegas on Thursday, September 24. Like some Republicans, Eric also pointed to Hillary Clinton’s remark made last month that Biden shouldn’t concede no matter what the situation is. “I think my father's saying the same thing: I'll have to look at what happens,” he said.
Clinton said in a virtual interview for HBO's 'The Circus': “Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances, because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually I do believe he will win if we don't give an inch, and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is.”
Trump’s remark made before leaving for North Carolina on Thursday that he is not sure whether an honest election will be possible came after White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told the press the same day that the president “will accept the results of a free and fair election”.
Biden slammed Trump’s remarks while speaking to MSNBC on Friday saying the US will have an election as it always had and Trump will leave. In the past, the former vice president said the military will remove Trump out of the White House if he refused to vacate despite losing the election. The Pentagon though has refused to envision any role in the election dispute, if there is any.