Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Refuses To Pledge To Peaceful Transition Of Power If He Loses Election
The Washington Post: Trump Won’t Commit To A ‘Peaceful Transfer Of Power’ If He Loses
President Trump refused Wednesday to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election, asserting that if he doesn’t win, it will be because of fraudulent mail-in voting and not because more Americans voted against him. His latest comments came after he has spent months making unsubstantiated claims that voting by mail is corrupt and will lead to a “rigged” election. In fact, states that have embraced universal mail voting have documented tiny rates of possible ballot fraud, data shows. (Itkowitz, 9/23)
Politico: Trump Declines To Commit To A Peaceful Transition Of Power After Election
Trump has repeatedly expressed doubt about the current election infrastructure, even though numerous studies have found voter fraud to be exceedingly rare in the U.S. The president has waged a campaign against the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots expected this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, alleging that vote-by-mail is less secure than other forms of voting. He pushed a baseless theory that foreign actors are plotting to send in fake ballots, though his own intelligence community has found no evidence of such a plot. ... When asked on Wednesday about the potential public disturbances that could follow this year’s election, Trump said: “Get rid of the ballots, you’ll have a very transfer — you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There’ll be a continuation.” “And the ballots are out of control,” he continued. “You know it. And you know who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats.” (Choi, 9/23)
NBC News: Trump On Peaceful Transition If He Loses: 'Get Rid Of The Ballots' And 'There Won't Be A Transfer'
Trump has repeatedly assailed mail-in voting as widely fraudulent, but he and his campaign have released no evidence to prove it. Even though the president and first lady Melania Trump have voted by mail and his campaign and Republicans have encouraged voters in key swing states to request ballots, his campaign is suing multiple states over mail-in voting rules. (Smith, 9/23)
The New York Times: Trump Won’t Commit To ‘Peaceful’ Post-Election Transfer Of Power
Hours after Mr. Trump’s assertions, Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, expressed alarm over the comments on Twitter. “Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus,” Mr. Romney wrote. “Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.” (Crowley, 9/23)
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden responds —
The Hill: Biden On Trump's Refusal To Commit To Peaceful Transfer Of Power: 'What Country Are We In?'
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden questioned President Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power on Wednesday. Asked about the president’s remarks during his briefing, Biden told reporters, “What country are we in?” “I'm being facetious. I said, what country are we in? Look, he says the most irrational things. I don't know what to say,” Biden added, according to a pool report. (Klar, 9/23)
