Name: “Unthinkable”: Trump’s says "get rid of the ballots," and "there won't be a transfer of power"
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“Unthinkable”: Trump’s says "get rid of the ballots," and "there won't be a transfer of power"

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U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at a campaign event at Xtreme Manufacturing on September 13, 2020 in Henderson, Nevada. Trump's visit comes after Nevada Republicans blamed Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak for blocking other events he had planned in the state.view in app--September 24, 2020 2:27PM (UTC)President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to refuse to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, sparking concerns on both sides of the aisle.Trump continued to push &nbsp;about voting by mail to sow doubt in the election during a news conference at the White House before suggesting that if we "get rid" of mail-in ballots there would not be a transfer of power."Well, we're going to have to see what happens," Trump told reporters. "You know that I've been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster."We'll 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," he added. "There'll be a continuation."Trump has &nbsp;to say that he would accept the results of the election, telling Fox News in June that he would &nbsp;as he pushed a baseless charge that voting by mail would "rig the election." Voting by mail has &nbsp;to prevent voter fraud, which is virtually nonexistent.Trump and first lady Melania Trump have &nbsp;and .&nbsp;At the same time, the president has&nbsp;attempted to sow doubt in the integrity of the vote as his campaign has&nbsp;pushed .Trump said he is &nbsp;to determine the winner of the election. He also suggested to reporters in the Oval Office earlier on Wednesday that he wanted to have his Supreme Court pick confirmed by the election for that exact reason."I think this will end up in the Supreme Court, and I think it's very important that we have nine justices," he said. "And I think the system's going to go very quickly."Asked by reporters about Trump's remark, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden replied, "What country are we in?""He says the most irrational things," . "I don't know what to say to that. It doesn't surprise me."Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., responded to the comments by calling Trump a"This is how democracy dies," . "A president so desperate to cling to power that he won't commit to a peaceful transition of power. That he seeks to throw out millions of votes. And a Republican Party too craven to say a word."Though Trump's comments were largely met with silence by the GOP, some Republican lawmakers criticized them."Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus," , R-Utah, who said he would . "Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.""Nothing defines our Constitutional Republic more than the peaceful transition of power. I've taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I will uphold that oath," Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, the former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, . "Regardless of how divided our country is right now, when elections are over and winners are declared, we must all commit ourselves to the Constitution and accept the results."Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub also took issue with Trump's comments about ballots and courts."In case anyone is unclear on the concept, in the United States of America, we do not 'get rid of' ballots. We count them," . "Counting the ballots – *all* the ballots – is the way we determine who leads our country after our elections. The only way."Igor Derysh is a staff writer at Salon. His work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald and Baltimore Sun.Tips/Email: iderysh@salon.com Twitter:MORE FROM• • •

U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at a campaign event at Xtreme Manufacturing on September 13, 2020 in Henderson, Nevada. Trump's visit comes after Nevada Republicans blamed Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak for blocking other events he had planned in the state.view in app--September 24, 2020 2:27PM (UTC)President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to refuse to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, sparking concerns on both sides of the aisle.Trump continued to push &nbsp;about voting by mail to sow doubt in the election during a news conference at the White...

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Covering politics at Salon. Cameos in LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun. Ex-managing editor at Latest dot com (RIP). WGAE. Tips: iderysh at salon dot com

Igor Derysh

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“Unthinkable”: Trump’s says "get rid of the ballots," and "there won't be a transfer of power"

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