Trump wants US presidential election postponed

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday raised the possibility of delaying the nation’s Nov. 3 presidential election despite its date being enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, drawing immediate objections from Democrats. 

Trump, without evidence, repeated his claims of mail-in voter fraud and raised the question of a delay, tweeting: 

delay the election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

Trump’s tweet came shortly after the United States reported its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression: a second-quarter crash in gross domestic product due to widespread shutdowns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Trump, who is trailing challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden in opinion polls, had previously intended to focus his re-election bid on the nation’s economic performance. 

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has cast doubt on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots, which have been used in far greater numbers in primary elections amid the pandemic. He has also made unsubstantiated allegations that voting will be rigged and has refused to say he would accept official election results if he lost. 

Democrats, including Biden, have already begun preparations to protect voters and the election amid fears that Trump will try to interfere with the November election. 

Reuters