Joe Biden obliquely swiped at President Trump after the White House incumbent floated the possibility of postponing November’s general election amid the pandemic.
“You won’t have to worry about my tweets when I’m president,” the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee wrote.
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You won’t have to worry about my tweets when I’m president.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 30, 2020
Biden, the two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, elaborated during a virtual fundraiser co-hosted by running mate contender California Rep. Karen Bass and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, his South Carolina primary kingmaker.
Trump “doesn’t want to focus on what’s going on today with our buddy, and your close friend Jim,” he said.
Trump ignited a brush fire of panic among Democrats Thursday morning when he sent off a missive suggesting the highly anticipated Nov. 3 contest between the pair should be pushed back as COVID-19 upends any occasion gathering crowds of people.
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” the president tweeted.
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
He followed up his original proposal with a second tweet later in the day.
“Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting (not Absentee Voting, which I totally support!),” he wrote. “Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later!”
Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting (not Absentee Voting, which I totally support!).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Federal laws set Election Day as “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November.” Like any piece of legislation, changing the date would require congressional approval that’s unlikely to be granted given the Democratic majority in the House. And the Constitution stipulates that Trump’s term ends on Jan. 20, 2021, at 12 p.m., whether or not a successor has been elected.
Biden has downplayed the need to mess with the schedule while playing up the prospect Trump will seek to delegitimize the contest.
“Mark my words: I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow; come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” he said in April.
