Trump’s Election Tweet Shows He Is Afraid of Losing: Analyst

“Trump is afraid he is going to lose the election. He knows he has lost control of the media and the spin he keeps presenting. Most of what he says are lies. But if people believe him he can get away with it. The idea to delay the election is also a distraction. He presented it to set the stage for a campaign to undercut the legitimacy of the result. The President cannot change the date of the election. The timing is set out in the US Constitution,” Edward Corrigan from Ontario told Tasnim.

Edward C. Corrigan is certified as a specialist by the Law Society of Ontario, Canada in Citizenship, Immigration and Immigration and Refugee Law. He is also an analyst and commentator for a number of media outlets around the world.

The following is the full text of the interview:

Tasnim: US President Donald Trump on Thursday raised the idea of delaying the Nov. 3 election, an idea immediately rejected by both Democrats and his fellow Republicans in Congress - the sole branch of government with the authority to make such a change. Why do you think Trump is sowing the seeds of doubt in the legitimacy of the election?

Corrigan: Trump is afraid he is going to lose the election. He knows he has lost control of the media and the spin he keeps presenting. Most of what he says are lies. But if people believe him he can get away with it. The idea to delay the election is also a distraction. He presented it to set the stage for a campaign to undercut the legitimacy of the result. The President cannot change the date of the election. The timing is set out in the US Constitution. It is set as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. Only the United States Congress has the power to change the date. There never has been a change in the date of the US Presidential election. Not in the time of the two World Wars, or in the Great Depression or even in the American Civil War.

Tasnim: On Thursday morning, the government reported the worst US economic contraction since the Great Depression: 32.9% in the second quarter. Do you believe that the notion is an attempt to distract from devastating economic news?

Corrigan: Yes. The US economy is imploding. Trump at first tried to deny the COVID-19 threat and did nothing to prepare for the pandemic. Trump's plan was to claim credit for growing the US economy and coast to victory by mobilizing his "White Nationalist" base. Trump is scrambling to blaming others for his own mistakes. He is even trying to blame the pandemic on China. In a sense it is a "perfect storm" for an American election; an imploding economy, the mishandling of COVID-19 pandemic and the explosion of anger over the systemic racism in the United States against blacks, Latino's and native Americans. The video of the brutal murder of George Floyd (was) caught on camera and broadcast over and over for the American public to see. This murder, and many other racially based murders, has ignited an explosion of pent up anger, and this anger is being reflected in American politics.

Tasnim: Trump, who opinion polls show trailing Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden, said he would not trust the results of an election that included widespread mail voting - a measure that many observers see as critical given the coronavirus pandemic. Without evidence, he claimed that ramped up mail voting would be rife with fraud, but praised absentee voting, which is also done by mail. What is this voter fraud that he is talking about?

Corrigan: Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden is leading the polls by a substantial margin over US President Donald Trump. Trump is afraid of a mail in vote as it will increase the voter turnout. Republicans know the higher the turnout the worse they do in elections. Trump even said that if they have a mail in ballot you will not see any Republicans elected. Trump is terrified of a mail in ballot. He is trying to discredit mail in ballots as it (is) not in his interest. He is making up claims that mail in ballots are subject to voter fraud. There is almost no evidence that mail in ballots are subject to fraud. There are American States that use mail in ballots and there is almost no evidence of voting fraud. In fact, the few incidents of proven voter fraud are mostly tied to Republican candidates.

Tasnim: Trump’s “delay the election” tweet comes as the United States is enduring a multi-pronged, once-in-a-generation crisis: a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 150,000 lives, a crippling recession sparked by the outbreak, and nationwide protests against police violence and racism. What are your thoughts on this?

Corrigan: Trump says many crazy things on Twitter including the announcements of firings and major policy decisions. Trump has embraced social media with a vengeance. He has millions of Twitter followers. He has created his own massive media presence. He was a TV Reality show star and knows how to manipulate the public and attract attention. However, the storm he has caused by his lack of effective political action, his embrace of "White Nationalism," his opposition to taking down statues of Confederate Generals for their support for slavery, his attacks on Latinos, Immigrants and refugees, his attacks on "Black Lives Matters," and many other missteps has provoked a backlash against Trump. His misspellings and gaffs on Twitter are an embarrassment. Trump has fired many of his Cabinet members and staff. A number of them, including John Bolton and his niece Mary Trump, have written books attacking him and exposing his ignorance. Trump is a con man without any real knowledge or political experience. He has no ideological foundation and only pursues his own self-interest. He is also not a very good businessman. He only knows the "art of the con." However, the American people are starting to see through the facade.