The Federal Electoral Commissioner has come out to firmly repudiate President Trump’s comment that election officials should “get rid” of mail-in ballots cast on November 3.
Ellen Weintraub, Federal Electoral Commissioner (FEC), fired back at the president that saying America does not “get rid” of ballots, “We count them.”
Weintraub spoke out after the President made a foreboding comment about whether he’d peacefully concede the election if he loses.
“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know, but I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump said.
“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation,” Trump said. “The ballots are out of control. You know it, and you know who knows it better than anyone else? The Democrats know it better than anyone else.”
The president has repeatedly claimed there will be voter fraud in the election due to the significant increase in mail-in ballots caused by COVID-19 pandemic. He’s also pushing the idea that because of the impending fraud, the election may have to be decided by the right-leaning Supreme Court.
There hasn’t been any evidence that voter fraud will be a problem. But polls show Trump is likely to lose in November, so he’s looking for an alternative pathway to victory.
Trump’s attempt to undermine the very core of American Democracy has been criticized on both sides of the aisle. Mitt Romney compared Trump’s statement to the fraudulent election recently staged in Belarus.
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell uncharacteristically spoke out against the president saying the transition will be “orderly.”
House majority leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump’s comments come as “no surprise” because he has “been contemptible of science and governance.”
Joe Biden called his response “irrational.”
Later in the day, Weintraub doubled-down on her support for mail-in ballots, saying that there’s “still no basis for the conspiracy theory that #VoteByMail will lead to a rigged election.”
Today’s repudiation of the President isn’t the first time she’s spoken out against his conspiracies.
Weintraub’s brave decision to speak out against the president’s attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election is the type of resolve American institutions should show during this time of crisis. The Trump presidency has put a stress test on our democracy and it will only stand if agencies such as the FEC don’t back down.
Because once they do, the pillars of our democracy will go down as well.
