Top Republicans, led by Trump, refuse to commit to accept 2024 election results

essentialsaltes · May 9, 2024

One possible vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), repeatedly declined to say whether he will accept the outcome.

It looks like (after that whole Mike Pence thing) that there is a new litmus test for veep candidates that qualify them in Trump's eyes, but should disqualify them in everyone else's.

I mean, this is how elections work. You have an election, and there is an outcome. That outcome can involve recounts, lawsuits, whatever, but at the end of the day, there is an outcome.

“This is how democracies break down,” [poli sci prof] Miller said, later adding, “It’s such a low bar to say, ‘Yeah, the election is free and fair,’ or, ‘I will obey the results of the election.’ … You don’t deserve credit for not committing a crime.”

But Trump's potential veep picks are managing to limbo under that low bar.

[After evading the question 6 times, Scott] continued to evade the question even as the interviewer, NBC News’s Kristen Welker, reminded him that a “hallmark of our democracy is that both candidates agree to a peaceful transfer of power.”

“This is why so many Americans believe that NBC is an extension of the Democrat [sic] party at the end of the day,” Scott said at one point. “… I believe that President Trump will be our next president. It’s that simple.”

If you take his words literally, he's saying the election outcome is irrelevant. This is some weird presuppositional apologetic to say that Trump is already the next president. Elections just cause doubt, because they can go either way. But if you hold to a singular faith that Trump is the next president, that provides certainty in a time of doubt.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in a TV interview Sunday, dodged a question about Trump’s comments on political violence. Burgum, like Scott, declined to contemplate a scenario in which the former president loses and said he was “looking forward to next January, when Vice President Harris certifies the election for Donald Trump.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), the No. 4 Republican in the House, would not commit in January to voting to certify the 2024 results as a member of Congress.

Another potential Trump vice-presidential candidate, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), declined in March to say whether he would certify ... election results if he were vice president.

GoldenBoy89 · May 9, 2024

I won’t be surprised if he picks Ivanka.

Laodicean60 · May 9, 2024

Some people's arrogance I wish they'd leave the past alone and worry about the future.

GoldenBoy89 said:
I won’t be surprised if he picks Ivanka.

Not a bad idea, I've listened to her talk and she seems more centered on issues than her extremist dad.

GoldenBoy89 · May 9, 2024

Laodicean60 said:
Not a bad idea

If you like dynasties.

Laodicean60 said:
I've listened to her talk and she seems more centered on issues than her extremist dad.

The problem isn’t her positions, it’s who she’d be related to if she took the job. The bigger problem I haven’t isn’t so much that Trump would try something like this, it’s the support for it he would no doubt have from his voters. That’s what makes him so dangerous.

Laodicean60 · May 9, 2024

GoldenBoy89 said:
If you like dynasties.

It's about the job they do not a name. I wonder if this was talked about with John and Robert Kennedy. I feel they were so good that the powers to be killed them both.

essentialsaltes · May 9, 2024

Of course, another important factor in choosing a veep is:

What do [actual] billionaires want?

Corporate leaders, wealthy donors want a say in Trump’s vice presidential pick

Ike Perlmutter, a billionaire and former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, told Trump he thinks the former president should choose New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, according to a person briefed on the conversation.

Rupert Murdoch has hinted to several friends who move in Trump’s social circles that he would be happy with a Republican ticket that included Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Trump has also reportedly been pitched on Scott by Oracle chairman and Republican megadonor Larry Ellison.

[And who don't the billionaires want?]

Populists worry donors

This may help to explain why some influential Trump donors are especially wary of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance

For some Republican National Committee aides, the message on Ramaswamy from donors, the lobbyist said, is “Good Lord, if it’s him, I’m out.”

wing2000 · May 10, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
After evading the question 6 times, Scott] continued to evade the question even as the interviewer, NBC News’s Kristen Welker, reminded him that a “hallmark of our democracy is that both candidates agree to a peaceful transfer of power.”

“This is why so many Americans believe that NBC is an extension of the Democrat [sic] party at the end of the day,” Scott said at one point. “… I believe that President Trump will be our next president. It’s that simple.”

If you take his words literally, he's saying the election outcome is irrelevant. This is some weird presuppositional apologetic to say that Trump is already the next president. Elections just cause doubt, because they can go either way. But if you hold to a singular faith that Trump is the next president, that provides certainty in a time of doubt.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in a TV interview Sunday, dodged a question about Trump’s comments on political violence. Burgum, like Scott, declined to contemplate a scenario in which the former president loses and said he was “looking forward to next January, when Vice President Harris certifies the election for Donald Trump.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), the No. 4 Republican in the House, would not commit in January to voting to certify the 2024 results as a member of Congress.

Another potential Trump vice-presidential candidate, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), declined in March to say whether he would certify ... election results if he were vice president.

Pathetic.
Every one of them took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States.

essentialsaltes · May 28, 2024

Republicans divided on pledging to accept 2024 election results

While Trump has refused to accept the election results in advance, many GOP lawmakers aren’t willing to go down that same road — except for a handful who are trying to rise to the top of his VP shortlist.

Murkowski [R-AK] and other Republicans say Trump or Biden have the right to challenge the election results in court, but that once a court rules and without clear and compelling evidence of widespread fraud, the losing candidate must accept the outcome.

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), who helped lead the opposition to Trump’s effort to block the certification of Biden’s victory on the Senate floor, said this week he would accept the results if they are validated by the courts — taking the same position he and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) took after the 2020 election.

Asked whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) answered simply, “I don’t know why you wouldn’t.”

“The results are the results,” he said.

--

Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who are said to be on Trump’s vice presidential shortlist, have declined in nationally televised interviews to commit to accepting the election results.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), a possible VP pick in the GOP conference, said he would have declined to certify Biden’s victory in January 2021 if he was serving in the Senate at the time.

GoldenBoy89 · May 28, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
Republicans divided on pledging to accept 2024 election results
While Trump has refused to accept the election results in advance, many GOP lawmakers aren’t willing to go down that same road — except for a handful who are trying to rise to the top of his VP shortlist.

Murkowski [R-AK] and other Republicans say Trump or Biden have the right to challenge the election results in court, but that once a court rules and without clear and compelling evidence of widespread fraud, the losing candidate must accept the outcome.

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), who helped lead the opposition to Trump’s effort to block the certification of Biden’s victory on the Senate floor, said this week he would accept the results if they are validated by the courts — taking the same position he and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) took after the 2020 election.

Asked whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) answered simply, “I don’t know why you wouldn’t.”

“The results are the results,” he said.

--

Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who are said to be on Trump’s vice presidential shortlist, have declined in nationally televised interviews to commit to accepting the election results.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), a possible VP pick in the GOP conference, said he would have declined to certify Biden’s victory in January 2021 if he was serving in the Senate at the time.

Top requirement for Trump’s VP pick: Absence of any vertebrae.

Whyayeman · May 31, 2024

A new dilemma for the Republican Party after the conviction of their candidate for nominaton: should that nomination now go ahead, or should a new candidate for the Presidency be found?

The VP choice will be made in the light of that decision.

Pommer · May 31, 2024

Whyayeman said:
A new dilemma for the Republican Party after the conviction of their candidate for nominaton: should that nomination now go ahead, or should a new candidate for the Presidency be found?

The VP choice will be made in the light of that decision.

Who’s going to covet the #2 selection after they witnessed what Trump did to Pence?

essentialsaltes · May 31, 2024

Whyayeman said:
A new dilemma for the Republican Party after the conviction of their candidate for nominaton:

A dilemma suggests there are two courses of action.

With Lara Trump as co-chair of the RNC, and the party in general having purged its not-Trumpy-enough elements, there is no chance of switching from Trump.

essentialsaltes · May 31, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
A dilemma suggests there are two courses of action.

With Lara Trump as co-chair of the RNC, and the party in general having purged its not-Trumpy-enough elements, there is no chance of switching from Trump.

All The GOP Lawmakers Telling Trump To Drop Out After His Felony Conviction

These are the Republican leaders standing up and putting country before party.

(This list will be updated.)

essentialsaltes · Jun 24, 2024

essentialsaltes said:
One possible vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), repeatedly declined to say whether he will accept the outcome.
"I believe that President Trump will be our next president. It’s that simple.”

If you take his words literally, he's saying the election outcome is irrelevant. This is some weird presuppositional apologetic to say that Trump is already the next president. Elections just cause doubt, because they can go either way. But if you hold to a singular faith that Trump is the next president, that provides certainty in a time of doubt.

Pro-Trump extremists are sure he will win. That could be dangerous.

Trump himself has contributed to that certainty by insisting the only way he can lose is if the other side cheats. There’s little reason for pro-Trump extremist groups or radicalized MAGA fans to demonstrate when they foresee the presumptive Republican nominee coasting to victory over President Biden in five months and positioned to enact promised “retribution” against his enemies in seven, political violence trackers say.

[Polls are roughly tied.] But in the eyes of many Trump backers, he is almost certain to prevail if the vote is fair. Their confidence carries risk: Experts warn that should Trump lose, the gap between expectation and reality could make for a highly combustible period after the election.
“They’re assuming that Trump is going to win, and what’s jazzing them up right now is, ‘Then it’s going to be time for retribution,’” said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor who now leads the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, a Georgetown Law center focused on threats to U.S. security and democracy.

Given a national discourse rife with dehumanizing speech, and studiesshowing U.S. attitudes becoming more supportive of political violence, many extremism researchers fear the current lull is only a pause. Those fears are compounded, they add, by the hard right’s portrayal of Trump as not just a candidate but a savior, a messiah-like figure who represents their only hope of rescuing the republic from the “radical left.”

“Jesus went through a sham trial too, and I still follow Him,” reads one popular right-wing meme.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which monitors extremism, recorded around 9,300 online posts related to civil unrest within a day of Trump’s conviction, nearly the same number after the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago. The posts included “hundreds of calls for violence and open fantasies about a violent overthrow of the government.”

Trump has a long record of floating violent ideas should he not get his way, with references to riots and “bedlam.”

Right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec told the audience that Trump’s victory was assured.

“We understand how to beat them, and we are going to take all of them down in just 140 days, on blessed Nov. 5, when Donald J. Trump is reelected president,” he said.

Akita Suggagaki · Jun 24, 2024