# Trump calls for delaying the election
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [July 30, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829 "2020-07-30T13:14:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/81 "2020-07-30T22:04:27Z")
Wow! Gotta give Olsen credit there. Although the cynical reading is that this was not sincere repentance, but just a basic realization that he had been so unequivocal in his previous op-ed that he had no chance of retaining any credibility unless he demonstrated some consistency. That had to hurt.
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### Author:  [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/82 "2020-07-30T22:25:55Z")
I’ve been convinced that rural areas of some states will have fewer voting stations than usual, regardless of any virus, and of course there will be stupid ID laws and registration hoops to jump through for a lot of voters.
Now that we have a NEW hoax-- Mail-in ballots are fraudulent-- why can’t congress just make it Election Week, instead of Election Day? Wouldn’t that give more time to get votes, count votes and even dispute votes if needed? Is that even possible?
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### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/83 "2020-07-30T23:00:42Z")
This coincidentally comes just a few days after I finished Mary Trump’s book, which persuasively makes the case that the man is mentally unbalanced and a pathologically dangerous sociopath. He may well try to end the storied American principle of the peaceful transfer of executive power in the world’s most vaunted democracy, which he would happily reduce to a shambles if it serves his interests and his delusional ego.
I have to believe that ultimately there is some measure of patriotism among at least the majority of his Republican enablers who, as corrupt as they may be, will not allow him to destroy the country. Though Putin and Xi Jinping must be slavering at the prospective collapse of nearly two-and-a-half centuries of American democracy at the tiny hands of an uncontrollable lunatic.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/84 "2020-07-30T23:04:31Z")
> [@Locrian](#):
>
> Now that we have a NEW hoax-- Mail-in ballots are fraudulent-- why can’t congress just make it Election Week, instead of Election Day? Wouldn’t that give more time to get votes, count votes and even dispute votes if needed? Is that even possible?-
You realize that proposing a reasonable solution to these problems automatically disqualifies you, right?
But, I’ll humor you: making it possible for more people to vote means that more Democrats will not only vote but get their votes counted! Can’t have none of that shit.
McConnell and trump have both said that if voting were easy and open to all those who are registered, no Republican would ever get elected again. I can look for a cite if you insist, but they’re both on record with that.
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### Author:  [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/85 "2020-07-30T23:15:34Z")
Oh, no. I know they’ve said that more than once. But Congress has to step up on this. Shut down any postponing crap so it just doesn’t happen. I usually have no problem voting in CA, but I will take the day off if needed to vote. Many can’t do that.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/86 "2020-07-30T23:20:02Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> McConnell and trump have both said that if voting were easy and open to all those who are registered, no Republican would ever get elected again. I can look for a cite if you insist, but they’re both on record with that.
I would love to see a cite on that. You would be forever honored in the Doper Hall of Fighting Ignorance.
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### Author:  [@shh1313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shh1313)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/87 "2020-07-30T23:27:51Z")
I think Trump said that.
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### Author:  [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/88 "2020-07-30T23:28:35Z")
Here is the cite on Trump saying it: [Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote | Donald Trump | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/trump-republican-party-voting-reform-coronavirus)
The direct quote was: “The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,”
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### Author:  [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/89 "2020-07-30T23:34:11Z")
I woke up to see the headline that Trump suggested postponing the election and thought someone was quoting The Onion. But, wow!
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/90 "2020-07-30T23:35:34Z")
> [@Jas09](#):
>
> Here is the cite on Trump saying it: [Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote | Donald Trump | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/trump-republican-party-voting-reform-coronavirus)
>
> The direct quote was: “The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,”-
One of the “things” the Dems were suggesting was making Election Day a national holiday. You know, so hourly people can vote without losing pay. 🙄
This is the headline of that article:
**“Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote”**
If you can stomach hearing his voice, here he is saying it on [Fox & Friends:](https://youtu.be/_r6qXQX5Fnk)
Aside: I saw a great tagline for Fox News: _“Because trump’s balls can’t lick themselves!”_ Cracked me up! 😆
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### Author:  [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/91 "2020-07-30T23:50:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> I would love to see a cite on that. You would be forever honored in the Doper Hall of Fighting Ignorance.
McConnell called expanded voting in the form of a federal holiday a “power grab” by Democrats in 2019. Here’s a [GQ article](https://www.gq.com/story/mcconnell-voter-turnout-bad) with a C-Span clip of McConnell basically telling Congress that more votes are bad for Republicans.
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### Author:  [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2020, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/92 "2020-07-30T23:57:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I can’t read the whole essay because of the paywall. But give me the spoiler; after declaring that Trump has made _“the single most anti-democratic statement any sitting president has ever made”_ and that it _“should be immediately, forcefully and vocally repudiated”_ does Olsen go on to tell people they shouldn’t vote to re-elect Trump? Because if he didn’t then to hell with his phony outrage.
Nope, sorry. Olsen’s big finish:
> McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) should jointly introduce a nonbinding resolution in their respective chambers reiterating that it is the will of Congress that elections occur on Nov. 3 as scheduled. This resolution should be supported by every Republican member of each chamber, regardless of their beliefs on mail-in balloting. This resolution would immediately distinguish Trump from his party, to the latter’s advantage.
Oh, and Pence should “distance himself” from Trump.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/93 "2020-07-31T00:09:40Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> He may well try to end the storied American principle of the peaceful transfer of executive power in the world’s most vaunted democracy, which he would happily reduce to a shambles if it serves his interests and his delusional ego.
It matters not if it serves his interests. All that individual cares about is his delusional ego.
Here’s a great thought. Let’s not have the election just like he wants. His term of office will then end in January and so will his veep’s term of office. So you know who that makes president, right? The Speaker of the House!
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/94 "2020-07-31T00:12:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> _"out of my conservative friends, none of them were for Trump in the first place,_ "
That’s where i got the idea, so if they didnt vote for Clinton, or trump, who did they vote for in 2016???
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/95 "2020-07-31T00:15:30Z")
That’s a good response. I suppose just doing a _Emily Litella_ would be too simple.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/96 "2020-07-31T00:19:11Z")
Yeah, I am not so sure about that, i think too many doofuses would just take a day off and go on a Vacation instead of voting.
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### Author:  [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/97 "2020-07-31T00:33:23Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#):
> >
> > Except that the new Senate would elect a President Pro Tempore. I count 34 Democrats, 2 Independents, and 30 Republicans who would still be there. What stops Bernie Sanders from finding two Democrats to join him in announcing, “Either you elect me, or we vote for a Republican”?
>
> Per the 12th Amendment, the Senate can only elect the VP from the two highest VP electoral vote getters.
You misunderstand my scenario. What you are describing applies when they have an election and no VP candidate gets at least 270 electoral votes. I am talking about a (very) hypothetical case where there are no elections for President or Congress; there would be no members of the House, and the only Senators would be the 66 not up for election in 2020. Since there is no President, no VP, and no Speaker of the House, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate - someone elected at the start of each term - would automatically be acting President until one was elected.
Traditionally, the longest serving member of the Senate’s majority party is elected President Pro Tempore, but as this situation would be a de facto election of the next President, tradition goes out the window.
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### Author:  [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/98 "2020-07-31T00:35:44Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#):
>
> His primary reason is his belief that voting by mail will lead to a fraudulent election.
No, his primary _rationale_ is the claim (I don’t think he actually “believes” this, or anything else more complex than “Big Macs are better with lots of ketchup”) that that voting by mail will lead to a fraudulent election. His primary _reason_ is that he knows he’s losing, badly, and his usual tricks just aren’t working this time.
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### Author:  [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/99 "2020-07-31T00:42:48Z")
Sorry, I thought you were referring to my parents who did vote for Trump.
My friends were mostly in the “can’t vote for either of them” camp. But at least one did vote for Clinton while “holding his nose”.
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### Author:  [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-for-delaying-the-election/916829/100 "2020-07-31T00:46:30Z")
> [@Jas09](#):
>
> In particular, imagine if Trump’s team has convinced him that in a November election he loses FL and AZ and maybe even TX. I could imagine a world in which those three states, all COVID hotspots with GOP governors, delay their elections. It’s just possible in that scenario that Biden doesn’t get over 270 on election night if you keep those three states from voting.
There is nothing magic about the number 270. The requirement is _a majority of electors appointed_ – if some states don’t appoint electors, that reduces the number required for a majority accordingly.
> US Constitution, Amendment XII:
> The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed
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