Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late Wednesday pushed back on President Donald Trump’s remarks that suggested he would not commit to a peaceful transition of power if he lost the November presidential election.
“What country are we in?” Biden asked, when a reporter requested his comment on Trump’s apparent refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power on Wednesday.
“I’m being facetious,” Biden said, repeating his question to imply that the President’s comments did not reflect those of a leader in a democratic nation who abides by the rules of a democracy.
“He says the most irrational things,” Biden added.
The comments come after the President refused to say that he would peacefully leave his post if he loses the November presidential election.
“We’re going to have to see what happens,” Trump told reporters at a press briefing. “I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump added when asked if he would ensure a peaceful transition.
When further pressed on the issue Trump erupted predictably about mail-in voting, saying there would be no need for a transition of power in the absence of mailed ballots.
“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation,” Trump said. “The ballots are out of control. You know it, and you know who knows it better than anyone else? The Democrats know it better than anyone else.”
Although Republicans have rushed to rally behind the President amid an effort to quickly fill a seat left vacant following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) appeared to challenge the President’s comments without condemning Trump directly.
“Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power,” Romney wrote in a tweet late Wednesday, “Without that, there is Belarus.”
Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus. Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) September 24, 2020
I’ve been wondering what country we’re in for quite a while now.
I’m glad Biden said it, but not happy he needed to.
I think this is the right way to handle Donnie’s provocations: dismissively. There’s no profit in amplifying his outrages and giving him the steering wheel.
At the same time, however, preparations have to be quietly taken for what he may actually do.
“What country are we in?” Biden asked
We’re in a country where roughly half the adult populace is OK living under despotic authoritarian rule by a bunch of racists, xenophobes, homophobes and misogynists.
That is all.
I don’t think is is “half”, but there are a lot more ‘Deplorables’ than I realized! Something has got to be done about Fox News. It has effectively created a 'Matrix that millions of people have decided to live in. A democracy can work where people have deep disagreements, but not where huge swaths of them do not even agree on facts.
OT. How does this cowardly @$$hole tries to lecture us about protecting the free world, when he stood by making up justifications for Trump giving classified to the Russian. If he wants to write something h can go back to his book “Dereliction of Duty” and a chapter about his shameful stint as NSA.