Republicans close to the President are overwhelming rejecting President Trump’s suggestion to delay the November election due to concerns of mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud, saying the election will proceed as planned.
“He can suggest whatever he wants. The law is what it is. We’re going to have an election that’s legitimate, it’s going to be credible, it’s going to be the same as we’ve always done it,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“I wish he hadn’t said that,” Rubio added. “But it’s not going to change. We’re going to have an election in November. And people should have confidence in it.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) dismissed Trump’s idea to delay the election, but defended the President’s concerns over voting fraud.
“Election fraud is a serious problem we need to stop it and fight it, but no the election should not be delayed,” Cruz said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) downplayed Trump’s remark as a “joke” to get the media crazy to “write about it.”
“Obviously he doesn’t have the power to do that,” Cornyn told reporters. “I think it’s a joke. So all you guys in the press, your heads will explode and you’ll write about it. I don’t know what his motivation is.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) responded to Trump’s question in a tweet, saying “No, it’s not even a question
“No, it’s not even a question. No delays. We should demand safe and secure elections. If you requested an absentee ballot, you should use it. And states should not use universal mail-in, which is indeed vulnerable to mistakes and abuse.”
No, it’s not even a question. No delays.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) July 30, 2020
We should demand safe and secure elections.
If you requested an absentee ballot, you should use it. And states should not use universal mail-in, which is indeed vulnerable to mistakes and abuse. https://t.co/gttmGnC1hB
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said the election “should go forward” as planned, but expressed the same concerns from the President regarding about mail-in voting.
“Never in the history of federal elections have we ever not held an election and we should go forward with our election,” McCarthy said, “We should have absentee voting, but this mass mailing out ballots without having any checks and balances without people requesting really brings concern in there.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in an interview with Kentucky NBC affiliate WNKY said the election is set in stone for Nov. 3.
“Never in the history of the country, through wars, depressions, and the Civil War, have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time.” We’ll find a way to do that again this Nov. 3. We’ll cope with whatever the situation is and have the election on Nov. 3rd as already scheduled.”
Earlier on Thursday, Trump ignited a firestorm with a tweet floating the idea of delaying the Nov. 3 elections, claiming that mail-in voting “will be the most inaccurate & fraudulent election in history.”
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley pointed to the “chaos and severe delays in results” in counting votes in last month New York’s Congressional primary.
“The President is just raising a question about the chaos Democrats have created with their insistence on all mail-in voting,” Gidley said in a statement. “They are using coronavirus as their means to try to institute universal mail-in voting, which means sending every registered voter a ballot whether they asked for one or not. Universal mail-in voting invites chaos and severe delays in results, as proven by the New York Congressional primary where we still don’t know who won after more than a month.”
Election Day is set by federal to take place the first Tuesday in November. The president has no authority to delay a general election. The Constitution gives Congress the power to change the date.
20202020 ElectionCongressGeneral ElectionHogan GidleyMail-In BallotPresident TrumpRep. Dan CrenshawRep. Kevin McCarthySen. John CornynSen. Marco RubioSen. Ted CruzSenateSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellTrump 2020 Campaign
What do you think?