Category Archives: Election Meltdown
“How to Preserve American Elections”
I did this New Yorker Q and A with Isaac Chotiner.
Video of My Appearance on AC 360 with Anderson Cooper on the Election’s Legitimacy
“Don’t fall for claims of voter fraud. Error is more likely the case, and errors don’t swing elections”
I have written this piece for the LA Times. It begins:
Let’s admit this now: We are not going to have a perfect election in November. We never have perfect elections.There will be reports of ballots sent to voters that… Continue reading
“At Pentagon, Fears Grow That Trump Will Pull Military Into Election Unrest”
NYT:
Senior Pentagon leaders have a lot to worry about — Afghanistan, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, China, Somalia, the Korean Peninsula. But chief among those concerns is whether their commander in chief might order American troops into any chaos around… Continue reading
“Trump Got a ‘Kick Out of’ the Election Fears He’s Stoked. Inside the DOJ, There’s Some Panic.”
Daily Beast:
To horrified voters, onlookers, and the Democratic opposition, it was another clear instance of the sitting president openly telegraphing his plans to seize power, something some administration officials fear will soon take form within the federal government and… Continue reading
“How Republicans in key states are preparing to run out the clock on the election”
CNN:
President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful presidential transition Wednesday comes as Republicans across the country are taking concrete steps that threaten to undermine the integrity of the election, particularly in key battleground states.Trump’s comments about… Continue reading
“Trump Again Sows Doubt About Election as G.O.P. Scrambles to Assure Voters”
NYT:
President Trump declined for a second straight day to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the election, repeating baseless assertions that the voting would be a “big scam,” even as leading Republicans scrambled to assure… Continue reading
“Trump’s escalating attacks on election prompt fears of a constitutional crisis”
WaPo:
President Trump reiterated Thursday that he may not honor the results should he lose reelection, reaffirming his extraordinary refusal to commit to a peaceful transition of power and prompting election and law enforcement authorities nationwide to prepare for… Continue reading
Good News: “Republican Leaders Reject Trump Hedging On Transfer Of Power”
NPR reports on these mostly positive developments:
“I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. And the ballots are a disaster,” Trump said, once again pushing his unsubstantiated claims about mail-in ballot fraud.Shortly after his remarks, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, … Continue reading
“Trump Won’t Commit to ‘Peaceful’ Post-Election Transfer of Power”
NYT:
President Trump declined an opportunity on Wednesday to endorse a peaceful transfer of power after the November election, renewing his baseless warnings about extensive voting fraud before saying there would be no power transfer at all.Asked whether he… Continue reading
In Alarming Answer at Press Conference President Trump Refuses to Commit to Peaceful Transition of Power (Assuming He Loses) Because of Claimed (But Nonexistent) “Problems” with the Ballots
Chilling:
Trump: "Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very peaceful … there won't be a transfer, frankly, there will be a continuation."If Barr won't, no surprise if Trump keeps firing until he finds a Deputy Assistant… Continue reading
“I’ve Never Been More Worried About American Democracy Than I Am Right Now; The pre-emptive attack on the vote count is a five-alarm fire.”
I have written this piece for Slate. It begins:
With less than six weeks to go before Election Day, and with over 250 COVID-related election lawsuits filed across 45 states, the litigation strategy of the Trump campaign and their… Continue reading
Blockbuster Bart Gellman Atlantic Cover Story on Potential Election Meltdown Quotes Republican Sources Saying Trump Campaign May Try to Push State Legislators to Choose Presidential Electors Directly
Bart Gellman:
There is a cohort of close observers of our presidential elections, scholars and lawyers and political strategists, who find themselves in the uneasy position of intelligence analysts in the months before 9/11. As November 3 approaches, their… Continue reading