Trump won't commit to peaceful transfer of power


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When asked by a reporter on Wednesday to commit to a peaceful transition of power should he not be re-elected in November, President Trump refused, saying, "Well, we're going to have to see what happens."
More people are expected to use mail-in ballots in the general election because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims that this will lead to voter fraud designed to hurt him. On Wednesday, Trump said the ballots are "a disaster. Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very — we'll have a very peaceful, there won't be a transfer, frankly. There'll be a continuation. The ballots are out of control."
This isn't the first time Trump has hinted he won't accept the election results, and he is also prone to suggesting he will serve more than two terms in office. The Atlantic reported on Wednesday that Trump's campaign is discussing "contingency plans to bypass election results" should Trump lose in November, including appointing "loyal electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority."
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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