A Coup in the Making
Statement of Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen
Note: President Donald Trump suggested in a tweet today that the November election be delayed.
This is a coup in the making.
Voting by mail will not create a risk of fraud. In fact, voting by mail is an absolute necessity to ensure Americans can exercise their franchise amid a pandemic – which Trump has made dramatically worse through his utter incompetence and callous indifference to human life.
If Trump truly cared about our elections, he would demand Congress provide the $3.6 billion in funding that states and localities need to properly and safely administer them amid the pandemic.
The real issue for Trump, of course, is Trump. The economy is in free-fall and Trump is worried about what that means for his electoral prospects.
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for the American people and American democracy. Trump is broadcasting that he is considering a coup to hold on to power.
The American people of all political persuasions, regardless of whom they will vote for in November, must come together to denounce Trump’s suggestion, to defend our democracy and to uphold the rule of law.