US Republican leaders guarantee there would be an orderly transition of power should their Republican fellow suffers a defeat in November’s election. Trump who will be facing Democratic challenger and former VP Joe Biden earlier on Wednesday casted a doubt on the transfer of power after questioning the transparency of ballots likely to be casted by mail. However Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell is of there would be peaceful transition of power in January as there had been since 1972. Democratic senators portray Trump as a grave threat to American Democracy.
The President currently trails behind Biden in opinions polls with under 40 days to go until the election. A large number of American voters will use their right to voted through postal ballots amidst COVID-19 pandemic this year and Trump has been raising questions about the probity of the mail-in ballot system.
In case if Trump didn’t accept the results of election happening in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, it would the US into a difficult territory. Biden has suggested that should this happen, military could be requested to oust the Republican from WH. Trump spokeswoman said the President would accept the result of a free and fair election open-heartedly.
Republicans
“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th,” McConnell tweeted on Thursday. “There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792.” Senator Lindsey Graham is among the vocal Trump supporters promising a free and untainted election unlike the one Trump won in 2016.
“I can assure you it will be peaceful,” Graham told Fox News, but suggested a decision could go to the nation’s top court. “If Republicans lose, we will accept the result. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Joe Biden, I will accept that result.”
Senator Mitt Romney issued a more critical response on Wednesday, saying “any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.”
Trump
On Thursday, Trump again question the sanctity of the upcoming polls saying he was not sure it could be “honest” because he claimed postal ballots are “a whole big scam”. The President stoked a controversy on Wednesday evening when he was inquired by a reporter if he would abide by a peaceful transfer of power “win, lose or draw” to Mr. Biden.
“I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots,” Trump said. “And the ballots are a disaster.”
When the journalist countered that “people are rioting”, Trump interjected: “Get rid of the ballots, and you’ll have a very – you’ll have a very peaceful – there won’t be a transfer, frankly, there’ll be a continuation.”
Back in 2016, Trump also refused to commit to the outcome of the elections against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton which he labelled as an attack on the Democracy. The Republican took charge of the WH after clinching the all-important electoral college vote despite losing the popular vote by 3mn ballots, a result he still raises fingers on.
Democrats Reaction
House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the third most powerful Democrat in Washington talking to reporters on Thursday said she was not surprised at President’s remarks.
Pelosi said that the president “admires people who are perpetuating their role in government”, citing Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“But I remind him: you are not in North Korea, you are not in Turkey, you are not in Russia, Mr. President… so why don’t you just try for a moment to honor your oath of office.”
Biden Spokesman talking to Politico said the former VP, “obviously, has participated in a peaceful transition of power before” and will do so the same after 2020 elections.
