Trump Muses on Twitter about Delaying the Election

Trump's irresponsibility continues.

Well, if he wanted to stop people talking about demon sex, he has done it:

Like I said last night about a far less objectionable tweet, he has no sense of responsibility. His ongoing attempts to undercut public confidence in the elections is one of the worst things he has done as president, and that is saying something.

He will, no doubt, say that he is “just asking” about a delay. But, of course, this is something the president should never be asking, especially in a flippant manner such as this.

Note: Congress would have to change election day (which is not going to happen) and his term ends by constitutional mandate on January 20th, 2021 regardless of anything else.

It is possible that he is trying to distract from bad news about GDP growth, although I am willing to bet he heard someone on TV make the suggestion and is now parroting it.

To be clear: this is reckless and irresponsible. He is undermining the basic process by which our government functions. He is attacking our already fragile and poorly functional democracy because he knows he is heading for a loss.

He continues to cement his place as the worst president this country has ever had.

FILED UNDER: 2020 Election, Democracy, US Politics, , , ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. OzarkHillbilly says:

    He continues to cement his place as the worst president this country has ever had.

    So. Much. Winning.

    13
  2. Michael Reynolds says:

    This led immediately to #PresidentPelosi trending on Twitter. Because unlike our idiot president, some people have read the Constitution.

    29
  3. Daryl and his brother Darryl says:

    As almost everyone has pointed out…this is Trump trying to distract from the worst quarterly GDP contraction in history. Look at this, not that.
    However the two things are inextricably connected. The bad news is the GDP contracted at 9.5% in Q2…quite a bit worse that the Bush Contraction; 8.4% in Q4 2008*. The good news is that we can elect Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren to fix it.

    *Perhaps we should be discussing why these huge contractions happen well into Republican Presidencies.

    11
  4. CSK says:

    His deterioration may have progressed to the point that either he literally doesn’t know what he’s saying, or he doesn’t care because he knows it’s all over for him. Look at what he said yesterday about the suburbs continuing to enjoy their lifestyle now that he’s rescued them from the prospective incursion of violent, impoverished African Americans. Look at his open espousal of a “doctor” who believes that sexual congress with demons leads to fibroids and endometriosis. Now he’s musing on delaying the election for fear it will be “fraudulent.” This is a decade’s worth of crazy packed into twenty-four hours.

    20
  5. drj says:

    And of course, Congressional GOPers are going to let this slide.

    It’s not Trump, the entire party is a threat to democracy.

    ETA: Oh, and just two days ago, Barr repeated Trump’s claim that there is a “high risk” that mail-in voting would lead to voter fraud, adding for good measure that he would leave office after a Trump loss “if the results are clear.”

    I wonder who is going to be the judge of that…

    23
  6. @CSK:

    This is a decade’s worth of crazy packed into twenty-four hours.

    He is utterly exhausting.

    21
  7. MarkedMan says:

    @Daryl and his brother Darryl:

    this is Trump trying to distract from the worst quarterly GDP contraction in history.

    I think you’re giving Trump way too much credit here. His responses are primal and animalistic. He knows his reelection is tied to the economy. He gets bad news on that front. He thinks, “It’s not fair, why do all the bad things happen to me?! It’s not my fault we have a virus, it’s Fauci’s fault! Since it’s not my fault it’s not fair to hold the election in the middle of it!” and boom, his fingers twitch on his keyboard.

    6
  8. CSK says:

    @Steven L. Taylor:
    He is. It’s like having to chase a toddler nonstop to make sure he doesn’t stick his finger into an electric socket or try to bathe the cat in the toilet or decide that Lysol makes a yummy drink.

    2
  9. Kathy says:

    @CSK:

    Oh, for heaven’s sake! If Trump wants to drink Lysol, just let him.

    6
  10. KM says:

    @Michael Reynolds:
    MAGAts truly believe in an Imperial Presidency as a state of status quo – that is, you are POTUS until something happens to make you not-POTUS aka you die or lose an election since that creates a new POTUS. The idea that the Presidency naturally expires by law doesn’t occur to them. You need to take action to make it happen – you act to become President by running for Office, you become President by being sworn in and you act to stay President by winning. You don’t become an un-President because the clock runs out on your term; the Presidency is taken or conceded but not lost due to an expiration date. Thus the musings that he can overstay his welcome because if he stops the action that causes the taking, he’s still retains that state of being.

    A King is traditionally a King as a natural state of being. You’re the King till you die – even the destruction of your kingdom can put the crown into abeyance because you might be able to reclaim the nation. Abdicating is possible but difficult because should you still be alive and change your mind, you still fulfill all the criteria that made you King in the first place. You only stop being King until someone takes your crown or death takes you and it’s very telling that Trump and his followers seem to think that delaying the election means he can just…. stay. Like, if he puts it off and puts it off and suddenly it’s years later, whoops he’s still POTUS because nobody’s elected a new one! That’s not how it works in any democratic system – that’s how monarchies and dictatorships run. Elected Office is a temporary, renewable status but it’s not a state of being. For them to even hint that he can overstay means they’re looking to test America’s patience and deepest foundation.

    6
  11. KM says:

    @Kathy:
    Are you kidding? Lysol’s worth its weight in gold right now – I’ve spent weeks looking for it. Let him drink something else under the sink but protect the Lysol!

    4
  12. CSK says:

    @Kathy:
    😀

    3
  13. CSK says:

    @KM:
    How about a nice Drano-on-the-rocks?

    4
  14. Modulo Myself says:

    We’re a Republic in a state of emergency and not a Republic. If this current emergency ever ends, we’ll go back to being a Republic and not a Democracy.

    1
  15. DrDaveT says:

    He continues to cement his place as the worst president this country has ever had.

    This understates the case by so much that it actually mitigates the message. It’s like saying that Ted Kaczynski cemented his place as the graduate of Evergreen Park Community High School least likely to be invited back as a commencement speaker.

    8
  16. Scott F. says:

    @drj:

    And of course, Congressional GOPers are going to let this slide.

    Amen!

    1
  17. CSK says:

    Well, according to Cult45, this is yet another example of Trump trolling and thus owning the libtards.

    5
  18. reid says:

    @CSK: And really, does anything else matter? Of course not.

    1
  19. CSK says:

    @reid:
    Nope. If you’re a Trumpkin, owning the libs is everything.

    3
  20. Sleeping Dog says:

    @Michael Reynolds:

    The @PresidentPelosi types don’t understand the Constitution either. If there is no election and 1/20/21 comes, the president pro tempore of the senate will be the prez.

    If there is no election the current congress, 116th, ends on 1/3. No election means that there is no 117th congress. Also there will be 35 empty senate seats. For those wondering, Schumer will be majority leader.

    2
  21. Gustopher says:

    Will no one rid us of this meddlesome would-be dictator?

    (I’m thinking of the Republicans in the Senate… they could have done something about him, and could signal that they are willing to do something now)

    2
  22. Daryl and his brother Darryl says:

    Pompeo just testified, under oath, that Barr will decide if Trump can announce he is moving the election.
    These people are seriously dumb.

    6
  23. KM says:

    @Sleeping Dog :
    The thing is Trump isn’t talking about ALL elections being delayed, just presidential. After all, as you noted it means a ton of seats will be empty and the GOP will take a major hit since it’s mostly theirs in play. Nobody in the GOP would allow so many of their jobs to be cut short because His Ill-Temperedness wanted to CYA. How many states have Dem governors but Repub Senators/ House-members that would be subject to liberal appointments “unelected by We the People!”?

    The egomaniac doesn’t think about anyone but himself so “election delay” means HIS election. How they plan to justify delaying his and not all I would *love* to see spun but I promise you he’s not thinking this through. An election delay means a blue wave one way or the other…..

    4
  24. Paine says:

    I’m not an expert on fascism but I’d bet that when a leader starts talking about delaying elections due to a crisis that that is a pretty stark warning sign.

    11
  25. Moosebreath says:

    @drj:

    “And of course, Congressional GOPers are going to let this slide.”

    To be fair, Republicans do seem to be pushing back on this one. Linked article has quotes from a large number of senior Republicans in Congress.

    2
  26. Michael Reynolds says:

    It’s occurred to Trump that Putin can’t hack the US mail. The economy is in the crapper, we’re losing a person every minute to Covid, and boy do the polls not look good for Donny. Behind in every single battleground state and within the MOE in Texas and Georgia.

    This clever idea of his is proof positive that he knows he’s losing. Another couple weeks of bad polls and he’ll be all out of fantasies. What then, when he finally accepts the inevitability of defeat? You can’t pull off a coup when your thugs can’t even hold onto Portland. He’s a trapped animal. Will he be smart enough to see his best option?

    If he is not pardoned he’ll be tried on federal charges. If he is pardoned he’ll be tried on state charges. Either way he and his business ’empire’ will be hit ten different ways by lawsuits and the defense costs will come out of his pocket – Putin won’t be wasting any more money on him.

    He should flee. It’s his best out. Resign, be pardoned by Pence, and run away, run away, brave Sir Spray-tan.

    8
  27. @Paine:

    I’m not an expert on fascism but I’d bet that when a leader starts talking about delaying elections due to a crisis that that is a pretty stark warning sign.

    Not specifically fascist, but definitely authoritarian.

    That doesn’t make it any better, of course.

    10
  28. OzarkHillbilly says:
  29. Jen says:

    The thing is Trump isn’t talking about ALL elections being delayed, just presidential.

    You’re probably right. And this, of course, makes less than no sense. States aren’t going to hold back their elections simply because he wants them to–they have the authority to conduct elections as they see fit. Which is why some are modifying requirements for absentee voting, etc.

    It costs a ton of money and a lot of preparation to run elections. Not one state, not even the deep red ones, will entertain his idiotic notion.

    2
  30. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @Moosebreath:

    Not every Hill Republican, including members of leadership, has weighed in on the President’s call yet or pushed back on the President.

    “Not answering any questions,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican also facing voters in a tough race, when asked about Trump’s tweet.

    A true profile in courage, that one.

    3
  31. Moosebreath says:

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    “A true profile in courage, that one.”

    As the old wisecrack went, less profile, more courage please.

    1
  32. Kylopod says:

    @Michael Reynolds:

    This led immediately to #PresidentPelosi trending on Twitter. Because unlike our idiot president, some people have read the Constitution.

    The Youtuber LegalEagle did an analysis of this recently. First, he said basically that it’s almost impossible it will actually happen. But if it somehow does, he argued it would not, as some have suggested, lead to a President Pelosi. The problem is that presumably it wouldn’t just be the presidential election that would be postponed–the House elections would too, and therefore there would be no House after the members’ terms expire in January. The presidency would then pass to the President Pro Tem, who is currently Chuck Grassley….but since one-third of the Senate would be up for reelection, only two-thirds of the Senate would remain, plus whatever interim Senators can be appointed by governors in particular states. Someone did an analysis of this scenario and concluded that it would result in Democratic control of the Senate, in which case the President Pro Tem (who would become the President) would be….Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

    5
  33. Sleeping Dog says:

    @Kylopod:

    By tradition and not by rule, the Pres Pro Tempore of the senate is the senior member of the majority caucus, but the caucus can vote for someone else.

  34. An Interested Party says:

    A true profile in courage, that one.

    Ack, among so many of these deserving GOP senators, Joni really needs to lose…she can go back to castrating pigs…

    1
  35. Sleeping Dog says:

    @An Interested Party:

    she can go back to castrating pigs…

    The Reality Show Host must feel nervous around her.

    2
  36. drj says:

    @Moosebreath:

    Happy to be wrong in this case.

  37. de stijl says:

    @An Interested Party:

    Working on it. Greenfield may be decent (who am I foolin’: back bencher, but a hopefully reliable vote).

    Who knows, she might surprise me. But Ernst has to go.

  38. de stijl says:

    Who could have predicted Trump calling for a delayed election? Hmm?

    1
  39. JohnSF says:

    @MarkedMan:
    A twitchy Trump seems the best explanation to me as well.
    It can hardly be a thought out strategy.
    If meant as a distraction from bad economic news, what’s the point?
    The economic damage remains clear, and the consequences of over-optimistic responses to the virus, combined with lag effects, mean the pain isn’t going away soon.

    And as an election strategy, notwithstanding the likely connivance of key administration figures, it’s most likely to blow up in his face.
    Casting doubt on the validity of some results might be a “clever” tactic, in a twisted way, but even hinting at delay is stupid.
    If you’re tactic is questioning vote legitimacy, delay is the last thing you want, surely.

    1