As Kamala Harris officially becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, Donald Trump is continuing to describe her rise to the top of the party’s ticket as “unconstitutional” and accusing her of being part of a “coup.” Although there is no serious effort underway to challenge Harris’ nomination, Trump’s rhetoric has led some critics to speculate that he might be laying the groundwork to question the outcome of the 2024 election should he lose again.
Next week, Democrats will convene in Chicago for a national convention where they will rally around Harris as the new standard-bearer after President Joe Biden decided not to seek reelection. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) officially confirmed last week that Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are the party’s nominees for president and vice president. In a virtual roll call, Harris received overwhelming support, with 99% of delegates backing her.
Republicans have acknowledged that following the DNC’s vote, there is no viable path to challenge Harris’ candidacy on the ballot. “When the DNC nominated her, they were still within the timeframe to submit the required documentation to each state to place her name and Walz’s on the ballot. The DNC’s nomination has ended any challenge in this regard,” a Senate Republican admitted.
Despite this, Trump, facing a closer race this year compared to his 2020 contest, has ramped up his claims against Harris, asserting that her rise to the top of the Democratic ticket is tainted. He alleges that Biden was pushed out of the 2024 race by top Democrats, labeling the transition as a “scam” and a “coup.”
John Bolton, a former national security adviser and vocal Trump critic, suggested that Trump’s claims about Harris’ legitimacy might be a strategy to set the stage for disputing the 2024 election results.
“We know one thing for sure: Trump never loses. And so if he’s not declared the winner of 2024, as in 2020, it must be because he was treated unfairly yet again; it was stolen yet again,” Bolton said.
“I don’t think he knows exactly what his theory is going to be this time to explain how he was denied winning the election, so he’s trotting out a number of things,” added Bolton. “And I think this is why people need to start thinking more now about how to deny Trump the ability, the day after the election, if he loses, to try and throw the process into chaos again.”
In a recent conversation with Elon Musk broadcast on social media, Trump called Harris’ nomination “a scam” and repeated claims that Democrats manipulated the process. He also criticized Harris’ nomination at a press conference, suggesting it might be unconstitutional, though he admitted uncertainty on the matter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed these sentiments, claiming Harris might face legal challenges that never materialized. He suggested there would be “real problems” and “legal hurdles” due to the unprecedented nature of Harris’ nomination. However, as the nomination process has proceeded without significant issues, Johnson has failed to specify these alleged legal obstacles.
Recent reports revealed that election authorities in most states see no barriers to Harris appearing on the ballot. Legal experts also indicate that courts are unlikely to support any lawsuits aiming to challenge the new Democratic nominee. According to Ben Ginsberg, a Republican campaign attorney, legal precedent strongly supports the convention’s right to nominate its candidate and upholds the voters’ choice.
Trump’s continued rhetoric and claims about Harris’ nomination may be part of a broader strategy to question the legitimacy of the 2024 election if he does not emerge victorious, raising concerns about potential disruptions to the electoral process.
