Public Trust Problem: The Upcoming Presidential Election Creates New Challenges

Reuters
June 21, 2020 Topic: Security Region: Americas Tags: ElectionPresidentDonald TrumpRepublicansRigged

Public Trust Problem: The Upcoming Presidential Election Creates New Challenges

It is possible that Donald Trump will challenge the results of the 2020 election. Trump is good at creating alternative universes for his scores of millions of followers, challenging the validity of inconvenient facts, and the GOP tends to support him.

Many other suggestions have been made. However, these remain by and large just that, suggestions. There are few indications that Congress or most states will pass the called-for laws and appropriate the necessary funds.

As I see it, delaying the elections would be particularly difficult and Trump may well choose to rely on his charisma, rallies, and the recovering economy to carry the day. The GOP and the Democrats will vie over voter registration and mail-in ballots, the outcomes of which are difficult to predict. Sadly, it is not possible to state with any degree of assurance that Trump will not challenge the results of the 2020 election. Trump is good at creating alternative universes for his scores of millions of followers, challenging the validity of inconvenient facts, and the GOP tends to support him. Even if all goes well, the fact that such a concern is not unreasonable is a very troubling statement about the condition of our democracy and—supports calls for taking measures to restore public trust in our form of government. 

Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor and professor of international affairs at The George Washington University. His latest book, Reclaiming Patriotism, was published by the University of Virginia Press in 2019 and is available for download without charge

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