Trevor Noah explains how 'faithless electors' could legally hand Trump the presidency, but won't
"Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, but outgoing President Donald Jigglypuff Trump is still looking for ways to overturn the results," Trevor Noah said on Tuesday's Daily Show. "Recounts haven't worked for him, legal challenges haven't worked for him, and he even tried signing an executive order that Nov. 3 was opposite day, but somehow that didn't work. But it turns out there is one more thing that Trump could try."
"Even though Trump lost the election, some of his people are hoping that he could pull out a win by using 'faithless electors,'" Noah explained. This is a long shot, on par with "Mitch McConnell being on the cover of Men's Health, but theoretically, faithless electors could give Trump the presidency."
The framers of the Constitution decided that a slate of elite electors would choose the president, and while it's now expected that those electors will vote for the candidate their state chose, that's not required by the Constitution or any federal law, Noah said. "A lot of people do realize that this system is a problem. In fact, states were recently given the power to require electors to follow the will of the people. Unfortunately, very few of them actually do." (Fourteen, in fact.)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Now the good news is, Trump is down so many electors that it's unlikely that he can convince enough of them to to turn against their state's voters and vote for him," Noah said. "But the bad news is, it's easy to see how a future election could be close enough that the losing candidate could convince enough electors to make them the winning candidate, and it would be totally legal." Watch his suggestion for states, and his warning, below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published