US President Donald Trump declined to answer the question of whether he would guarantee a peaceful transfer of power if Democratic candidate Joe Biden wins the upcoming presidential election.

“We will see what happens.

You know that I have complained a lot about voting by mail, and this is a disaster ... We will get rid of the ballots, and then it will be very peaceful ... frankly, there will be no transmission.

There will be a sequel further, ”Trump said.

The American media agreed that, speaking of "sequel," Trump most likely means his re-election in the event that the elections are not held in the usual format, but by mail.

Earlier, the head of the White House has repeatedly stated that with a remote vote, his results can be falsified.

In addition, on the eve of Trump suggested that the outcome of the upcoming elections will be determined by the US Supreme Court, as it was during the 2000 campaign, when the Republican George W. Bush ultimately won, despite the fact that the decisive votes in Florida went to his rival.

“I think it will go to the Supreme Court.

And I think it is very important that we have nine judges, ”Trump said at a meeting with state attorneys general.

Now in the United States, a discussion has unfolded on whether Trump has the right, as the outgoing president, to nominate a new member of the Supreme Court for the vacant seat of the deceased Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In the event that a decision of this authority is required to determine the outcome of the election again, it is important for Trump to fill the vacancy in the near future.

“But it’s better to do it before the elections, because I think this is a fraud ... a fraud that the Democrats are doing should be heard in the US Supreme Court.

I don't think there is anything good in a 4v4 situation if you know what I mean.

I don't know if you will understand.

Should be 8 to zero or 9 to zero.

But in case the process is more politicized than it should be, it is very important to have a ninth judge, ”the CBS channel quoted him as saying.

Election of dissent

The Democratic candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, commenting on Trump's statement, noted that it amused him.

“I was amused by this.

I asked which country are we in?

Look, he says the most irrational things.

I don't know what to say to that, "Biden said.

  • Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden

  • Reuters

  • © Kevin Lamarque

Republicans also criticized Trump's words - in particular, the president was condemned by Senator Mitt Romney, who was the main opponent of Barack Obama in the 2012 elections.

“The peaceful transfer of power is the basis of democracy, without it it will be like in Belarus.

Any suggestion that the president might not comply with this constitutional guarantee is unthinkable and unacceptable, "Romney wrote on Twitter.

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

As the US elections approach, there are more and more statements from various media and politicians that the results of this vote can be challenged, and that the losing side will try to sabotage them in one way or another.

So, in June, Joe Biden criticized Trump's allegations that voting by mail would be accompanied by violations, and called them a reason for disagreeing with the voting results, because of which the Republican may have to be expelled from the White House by force, with the help of the military.

Note that the current president has repeatedly criticized the mail-order vote, the main argument in favor of which was the difficult situation with the spread of coronavirus in the United States.

During his communications with the press and in his messages on Twitter, the president argued that such a vote would turn into massive falsifications in favor of the Democrats.

At the same time, Trump found it difficult to answer the question of whether he would accept the election results.

In an interview with Fox News on July 19, he said that he would "look" and until he answered unequivocally "yes" or "no."

In late August, former Democratic candidate for the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton, in an interview with NBC, stressed that Joe Biden should never admit a possible defeat.

“Joe Biden must not give up under any circumstances.

I think the process will drag on, but I believe that if we do not give in one iota, we will be as determined and persistent as our rivals, then in the end he will win, ”Clinton said.

Discussions of this kind, which could potentially lead to a large-scale conflict, prompted the US military to declare in advance that they would not participate in its resolution.

So, at the end of August, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Mark Milli, sent a letter to Congress, which emphasized that the Armed Forces would not interfere in the elections in any capacity.

Experts, in turn, admit that Trump's fears about voting via mail are not unfounded, since such a format can really become a source of fraud and stuffing.

“In addition, the postal service may affect the results of the elections, since new letters with ballots will continue to arrive during the counting.

Undoubtedly, such a vote can ultimately muddy the results that will later need to be defended in the courts, ”Andrei Sidorov, head of the department of international organizations and world political processes at the Faculty of World Politics at Moscow State University, explained in a conversation with RT.

Approaching the finish line

In the meantime, the gap between Trump and Biden in ratings and opinion polls among voters continues to narrow.

Thus, according to a poll by NBC News and the Marist Pol sociological service, in the key state of Florida, Biden and Trump each won 48% of the votes of potential voters.

In turn, a poll by the ABC television company and The Washington Post showed that 51% of voters are ready to vote for Trump in Florida, while 47% are for Biden.

  • U.S. protests

  • Reuters

  • © Bryan Woolston

In another key state, Arizona, 49% of potential voters chose Trump, and 48% said they would vote for Biden.

At the same time, despite the not so significant gap from Biden, political scientists believe that the current head of the White House does not doubt his victory, hence his statements that the transfer of power should not be expected. 

“Trump with these statements simply expressed his confidence in his victory, subject to a transparent vote.

Meanwhile, the Americans are looking forward to election day with fear, because it is not known how the vote count will take place and how long this procedure will take, how long it will take to transfer power, if this can take place, and whether there will be lawsuits on this matter, ”he stressed. in an interview with RT, director of the Franklin Roosevelt Foundation for the Study of the United States at Moscow State University Yuri Rogulev.

In turn, the president of the American University in Moscow, Edward Lozansky, believes that both Democrats and Republicans are preparing the ground for non-recognition of the voting results in the event of their defeat or a controversial outcome.

“Right now, the most important process in the United States is the vote on a new member of the Supreme Court, who will make a final decision in case of a contested result.

Irregularities are possible during postal elections as it is fairly easy to miss a ballot or throw it away.

There are also cases when the losing side will consider that its ballots did not arrive or were late, ”the expert explained in an interview with RT.

He expects that this year's US presidential elections will go on an even tougher scenario than in 2000.

“There is a possibility that disagreement with the election results could result in new pogroms in the streets,” the political scientist suggested.

Andrey Sidorov adheres to a similar point of view.

“After the November 3 vote, nothing will end, and the process is likely to go to the courts.

Those who disagree with the results can be expected to take to the streets.

In addition to the presidential elections, governors and senators will be re-elected this year, so there will be enough reasons for unrest in one state or another, ”Sidorov predicted.