Biden Warns Trump May Try To ‘Steal’ Election

TOPLINE

Joe Biden issued a blunt warning on Wednesday night about the possibility President Trump may try to impede voting access come November, as concerns among Democrats about voter suppression increase in the wake of Georgia’s botched primary on Tuesday. 

KEY FACTS

Crucial quote

In 2016, Trump broke precedent and suggested multiple times that he might refuse to accept the results of the election if he lost. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to make a major announcement today: I would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters, and to all of the people of the United States, that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election — if I win,” Trump said during a rally on October 20, 2016. 

Key background

The voting delays in Georgia on Tuesday set off a back-and-forth between party officials over who and what was to blame. Georgia Democrats have accused Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of not adequately preparing for the primary even after the election had been delayed twice. Raffensperger has faulted Fulton County officials for failing to mail ballots in time and not understanding how to use the new equipment. In a statement, his office said a probe would be launched into what went wrong on Tuesday. 

Chief critic

Georgia Republicans have argued the state’s botched election on Tuesday was mostly a problem in counties run by Democrats. However, Stacey Abrams, who lost to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in a closely contested election in 2018, said on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday that the problem wasn’t isolated to “Democratic strongholds.”

“It didn’t simply happen in Democratic strongholds. It happened across the state,” she said. “Because one of the problems with voter suppression, with the incompetence and malfeasance that we see in the secretary of state’s office in Georgia, is that while the target may be communities of color, may be voters of color or Democratic voters, it hits everyone.”

Further reading

Biden’s biggest fear: ‘This president is going to try to steal this election’ (NBC News)

‘An embarrassment’: Georgia Democrats decry disenfranchisement after election fiasco (Politico)

As Trump Rails Against Voting by Mail, States Open the Door for It (New York Times)

Joe Biden warns that President Trump ‘is going to try to steal this election’ (Washington Post)