Former Vice President Joe Biden questioned President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, telling reporters “What country are we in?”
“I’m being facetious. I said, what country are we in? Look, he says the most irrational things. I don’t know what to say,” the Democratic presidential nominee said after being asked about Trump’s refusal, according to a pool report.
Trump on Wednesday refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power should he lose the November election, instead once again sowing doubt about the security of mail-in ballots.
“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know, but I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump said when asked if he would commit to making sure there is a peaceful transition of power during a White House briefing on Wednesday.
Pressed on the question, Trump said there would be no need for a transition of power without mail-in 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.”
The president has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that mail-in ballots lead to mass voter fraud, despite experts saying there is no evidence of meaningful fraud in vote by mail.
Trump’s comments were publicly questioned by at least one member of his own party Wednesday night. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) tweeted that the peaceful transition of power is “fundamental to democracy” without directly addressing Trump.
“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,” Romney tweeted Wednesday night.
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
