US election: Trump won't commit to peaceful transfer of power
US President Donald Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses November's election.
Earlier on Wednesday, the US president defended his decision to seek the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice before the vote to fill the vacancy left by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, saying he expects the election results to end up before the court.
"I think this [the election] will end up in the Supreme Court, and I think it's very important that we have nine justices," the president said.
"I think it's better if you go before the election, because I think this scam that the Democrats are pulling, it's a scam, the scam will be before the United States Supreme Court."
Mr Trump was apparently referring again to his much-disputed claims that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to fraud.
Mr Trump's supporters hope his nominee, if confirmed by the US Senate, will cement a 6-3 conservative ascendancy on the nation's highest court for the forseeable future.
@vivifysaid Twice as many conservative Justices, with half of them appointed by Trump. They will rule in his favor.
Trump will remain president. I don't mean in 2020, I mean until he dies. He'll never leave.
You're starting to sound as hysterical as the right wingers.
Trump will lose by a comfortable margin and the next time you'll see him will be in the dock in a Manhattan courtroom. These nutty outbursts of his are helping to assure that result.
@no1maraudersaid You're starting to sound as hysterical as the right wingers.
Are you really putting it past Trump to take an election loss to the Supreme Court? Are you honestly saying Trump would not take the results to the SCOTUS?
EDIT: And and do you really believe it's completely implausible that *this* SCOTUS would rule in Trump's favor?
@vivifysaid Are you really putting it past Trump to take an election loss to the Supreme Court? Are you honestly saying Trump would not take the results to the SCOTUS?
EDIT: And and do you really believe it's completely implausible that *this* SCOTUS would rule in Trump's favor?
Your fear is ridiculous Trump will get blown out and the court will not support him.
@vivifysaid Are you really putting it past Trump to take an election loss to the Supreme Court? Are you honestly saying Trump would not take the results to the SCOTUS?
EDIT: And and do you really believe it's completely implausible that *this* SCOTUS would rule in Trump's favor?
We’ve already seen dead cert conservative trump appointees result in decisions that conservatives do not like.
I’m sure in the back of Trumps dysfunctional brain this could be the plan but I think when a SCOTUS of any make up have to choose between Democracy and Trumps ego they’ll choose democracy and the future of SCOTUS as a functioning body. π€
@vivifysaid Twice as many conservative Justices, with half of them appointed by Trump. They will rule in his favor.
Trump will remain president. I don't mean in 2020, I mean until he dies. He'll never leave.
The SCOTUS are not king makers.
1. It is extremely unlikely that the SCOTUS would attempt to annul an election, they probably have no authority to do so anyway, and even if they did, it would not mean that Trump would remain in office. His term ends in January 2021, come hell or high water. If the SCOTUS were to annul the election, it would mean that there would be an interregnum, during which the constitutional chain of command would kick in -- meaning that the Speaker of the House would be acting president until such time as a valid election result could be ascertained.
2. The SCOTUS might demand a re-count of some ballots, but only if there were good grounds for thinking that some were invalid, or had not been counted, or not counted correctly. This happened in Florida (Bush/Gore).
@kevcvs57said We’ve already seen dead cert conservative trump appointees result in decisions that conservatives do not like.
I’m sure in the back of Trumps dysfunctional brain this could be the plan but I think when a SCOTUS of any make up have to choose between Democracy and Trumps ego they’ll choose democracy and the future of SCOTUS as a functioning body. π€