Written by: Jai Jhaveri
Edited by: Marvin Kimwon
Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed winner of the 2020 presidential election, is continuing his crusade against the foundation of American democracy: The Constitution. After using the presidency as the bully pulpit to unsuccessfully overturn the 2020 Presidential Election, the former President has still not stopped insisting that he is the true winner of the election. Not only is he rerunning for President in 2024, but he is also suggesting that the Constitution be ignored so that he can combat fraud and ultimately assume the role of the President. (Astor)
Trump made this announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social. Truth Social is meant to be a social media alternative that does not restrict free speech. (Forman-Katz and Stocking) This post came as a reaction from Trump to Twitter’s report regarding moderation policies they enacted during the 2020 campaign. Further convinced that illegal and unnatural forces were working against him during the election, Trump dramatically suggested that the Constitution be suspended.
The announcement read, “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” he wrote. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!” (Yen)
A handful of GOP officials, such as House Rep. Mike Turner from Ohio, who is also a high-ranking official on the House Intelligence Committee, and newly elected House Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, came out against Trump’s incendiary comments. However, what is more noteworthy is the enormous number of GOP officials who have yet to say anything about the former President’s remarks. The potential Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, who promised to read the Constitution out loud on the first day Republicans take charge of the House, has passionately avoided speaking on this issue. (Astor)
Trump’s words are extremely dangerous and require strongly disapproving responses from members on both sides of the aisle. To suspend the Constitution would surely devastate American Democracy as it would open the door to a world of chaos. Doing so would also incite a massive amount of violence, similar to that of the January 6th Capitol Riot. If Trump was, for lack of a better word, bold enough to incite the events of January 6th, who is to say that this is not something he is seriously considering working towards? Considering his diminishing but still powerful popularity within his party and the country, this issue could potentially be on the country’s horizon.
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