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rump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he does not win the election. During a press conference on, Sept. 23, a reporter asked if Trump would commit to making sure that there is a peaceful transfer of power after the election. “We’re going to have to see what happens,” Trump said in response to the question. He then goes on to imply that if ballots aren’t thrown out and he doesn’t remain in office, he will encourage a fight over the transfer of power. “Get rid of the ballots, and you will have a very peaceful transfer. There won’t be a transfer, frankly,” Trump said. “There will be a continuation.” Trump is worried about voter fraud this election. He repeatedly claimed the large numbers of mail-in voting this year will result in election fraud. The FBI Director, Christopher A. Wray, is of a differing opinion. “We have not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it’s by mail or otherwise,” Wray said. While Trump can be worried about fraud, suggesting to get rid of the ballots is several steps too far. He is almost holding the people hostage. He is threatening the safety of the US by suggesting if our votes aren’t ignored, there will not be peace. We need to emphasize how terrifying Trump’s statement is. Trump is threatening the basis of our democracy. This republic is founded on the idea that people vote on their leaders, and the decision of the
people is respected and accepted. If that doesn’t happen, if Trump tosses the ballots or refuses to hand over power, we would no longer be able to fool ourselves into thinking the U.S. is the “land of the free.” However, this isn’t the first time Trump has said something strange like this. At a rally on Sept. 12, Trump talked about “negotiating” for a third term. “We’re going to win four more years in the White House, and then after that we’ll negotiate . . . because we are probably entitled to another four after that.” Serving more than two terms is illegal according to the 22nd Amendment, which was put in place after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt served three terms and died shortly into his fourth. At this point, Trump isn’t even trying to
hide the fact he is comfortable breaking any boundary to remain in power. It’s crazy the people of the U.S. actually have to fear a president will become a dictator. It’s like we are living in some dystopian society. Trump also shares some scary similarities with famous fascist leaders such as Benito Mussolini. Encyclopedia Britannica says Mussolini’s speeches his facts were often wrong, and his attacks were frequently malicious and misdirected. That sounds familiar to me. There is no uncertainty about this. Trump is overstepping his rights as a president for the people. If we allow this to continue, the U.S. will no longer be a democracy. His willingness to ignore term limits and discard votes is a clear indication that action must be taken. The obvious solution to this is to not re-elect Trump. However, with Trump threatening to throw out ballots, can we even rely on a fair answer? Other parts of the government have to take action. Local governments already are taking precautions to prevent fraud, but there have been some cases of election fraud in small local elections. It is the responsibility of the local government to take care of the ballots, and more measures should be taken. But besides threatening about ballots being tossed out, Trump has said and done multiple things that borders on illegal. Our government system is one of checks and balances, so who is checking the executive branch and why have they gone on a vacation?
TRUMP IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY The harmful nature of Trump’s rhetoric on leaving office, an opinion Story by Elise Laharia // Design and Graphics by Elsa Pedrosa Noguera
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