Washington Group Reportedly Preparing For ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ If Donald Trump Disputes Election Results
According to a Sunday report from The New York Times, a group of “worst-case scenario planners” has been “gaming out” how to react in case President Donald Trump disputes the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The group reportedly consists of Democrats and “Never Trump” Republicans who fear that the commander-in-chief will do all in his power to beat former Vice President Joe Biden and, if he fails, refuse to leave the White House — citing concerns over electoral fraud.
Fears that Trump might violate all political norms have reportedly intensified following his threats to withhold federal funding from states looking to switch to mail-in voting. As Georgetown University law professor Rosa Brooks explained, the mood in Washington has indeed changed.
“In the eight to 10 months I’ve been yapping at people about this stuff, the reactions have gone from, ‘Don’t be silly, that won’t happen,’ to an increasing sense of, ‘You know, that could happen,'” she said.
According to the Democratic National Committee’s top lawyer, Marc Elias, these concerns are shared by Democratic officials, many of whom apparently fear that the president may try to postpone or cancel the November election. Elias said that he could see Trump and his allies declaring a state of emergency to suppress the vote in urban areas, which lean Democratic.
Trump has repeatedly expressed opposition to voting reform, recently saying that mail-in voting would lead to “the greatest Rigged Election in history.” However, the president has also insisted that he does not intend to postpone or cancel the election, and members of his team have pushed back against such suggestions.
Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for Trump’s 2020 campaign, said that Democratic politicians themselves have promoted “hoaxes” disputing election results.
“Hillary Clinton, Stacey Abrams and the entire Democratic Party refused to accept the results of their elections and pushed the Russia collusion conspiracy theory for years,” Murtaugh stated.
Some Democratic operatives have refrained from voicing their concerns about the 2020 elections. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ former deputy campaign manager, Ari Rabin-Havt, explained to the NYT that allegations of electoral fraud could depress voter turnout.
“You don’t want to tell supporters that nothing you do matters because this guy is going to screw it up,” he said.
It is not only Washington insiders who are concerned about the 2020 election, it seems. Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has long warned that Trump might try to “rig” the electoral process. In an interview on Friday, Moore said that he is “certain” Trump is working on postponing or canceling the November election.
