Senate commits to peaceful transition of power

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• On Thursday, the US Senate passed a resolution reestablishing its commitment to support a peaceful transition of power ━ a day after President Donald Trump declined to participate in a peaceful handover of office.
• Trump has repeatedly refused to recognize the election results, saying that he will “have to see” as he continuously suggests that mail-in voting is prone to fraud.
• Senate GOP members, Mitch McConnell and John Thune, vowed to stand up against Trump should he refuse to step down if he lost.

A day after President Donald Trump opposed participating in a peaceful transition next year if he loses in the November 3rd election, the Senate issued a resolution to reaffirm its support for a peaceful transfer of power.

With a unanimous vote, the resolution proposed by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (W.Va.) was passed on Thursday.

“We’re in the most difficult times right now, and for the president to even address — to even address the subject of maybe not knowing if he would accept or not is beyond all our checks that that would ever happen in America,” Manchin said.

“I believe to have the leader of the free world talk as if we are an autocracy, authoritarian versus a democracy, is something that alarmed me and alarmed a lot of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, even those quiet as some may be, I know they’re alarmed,” he added.

Through the resolution, the Senate reestablishes “its commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States.”

The Senate also backs the idea that “there should be no disruptions by the president or any person in power to overturn the will of the people of the United States.” 

Trump has continuously refused to commit accepting the Election Day results, noting that he will have to see it first. He also repeatedly argued that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud and that an increase in mail-in ballots would result in election cheating, despite having no substantial evidence to back such claims. Experts have repeatedly debunked the idea of fraud through mail-in voting.

“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation,” the president told reporters at the White House. “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.”

Trump’s remarks got the ire of the Capitol lawmakers on Thursday. Even GOP members were forced to distance themselves from the president just weeks before Election Day.

In a tweet, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who was typically mum on Trump’s comments, warded off the president’s demeanor.

“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792,” McConnell declared.

Another Republican Senator, John Thune (S.D.), noted that the GOP would go against Trump if he would deny to hand over power in the event of loss.

“Republicans believe in the rule of law. We believe in the Constitution and that’s what dictates what happens … so yes,” Thune said when asked if GOP House members would stand against Trump.

Source: The Hill