Trump Raises Idea of Cancelling Future U.S. Elections, Then Denies It

Time reported that President Donald Trump on Tuesday floated the idea of canceling future U.S. elections while speaking to House Republicans at their annual retreat, then quickly insisted he was not calling for such a move, casting his remarks as a critique of Democrats rather than a proposal.

Speaking at the Kennedy Center to about 70 House Republicans, Trump said, “I won’t say cancel the election, they should cancel the election,” and also complained about his polling and mused about serving beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit. He warned, “they'll find a reason to impeach me,” adding, “I'll get impeached.” Most polls show Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%.

Federal law leaves no room for a president to cancel or postpone congressional elections: timing is set by Congress and administration of elections is carried out by the states, with oversight by Congress and the courts, and there is no clear legal mechanism for a president to unilaterally suspend national elections. Critics — including Democrats and voting rights advocates — have been alarmed; Trump has previously suggested delaying the 2020 election and in August appeared to voice approval of Ukraine’s ban on elections under martial law, and he again asserted the 2020 vote was “rigged,” claims rejected by courts, election officials from both parties, and members of his own former administration.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, House Republicans, Kennedy Center, Volodymyr Zelensky, Voter Id