President Donald Trump Wednesday refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power after the election if he loses the vote to Joe Biden. Trump was asked about this during a White House press briefing.
Brian Karem: “Will you commit here today for a peaceful transferral of power after the election?”
President Donald Trump: “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens. You know that. I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. And the ballots are a disaster. And — and” —
Brian Karem: “I understand that. But people are rioting.”
President Donald Trump: “I know. I know.”
Brian Karem: “Do you commit to making sure that there’s a peaceful transferral of power?”
President Donald Trump: “We want to — we want to have — get rid of the ballots, and you’ll have a very — we’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation. The ballots are out of control. You know it. And you know who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats know it better than anybody else.”
Earlier this week, Trump said he expects the November election to end up before the Supreme Court, saying that’s why he’s pushing the Senate to rapidly confirm a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week.
Meanwhile, The Atlantic magazine has revealed Republican Party officials are looking at ways to subvert the election process to ensure Trump stays in power. One option would be to have Republican-led state legislatures claim the results of the election to be fraudulent, and then choose a slate of Republican electors to vote in the Electoral College regardless of the outcome of the actual vote.