Fox News host and politics editor Chris Stirewalt asserted Thursday that President Donald Trump suggesting that the November elections ought to be delayed doesn’t bode well for his reelection prospects.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” Stirewalt rejected Trump’s argument for postponing the election until people can “safely” vote amid COVID-19, pointing out how the country has historically held elections during wars and other pandemics.
“And the idea for an incumbent to suggest that we would delay an election now while he is in power is of course totally out of character with all of his predecessors and it is a sort of fragrant and flagrant expression of his current weakness,” Stirewalt said. “A person who is in a strong position would never, never, suggest anything like that.”
“So Trump may be making a tactical error here by further telegraphing his weak position in the polls and his weak position for reelection,” he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump tweeted that this year’s election “will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history” due to mail-in voting (even though there is no evidence voting by mail leads to election fraud). Multiple states — both red and blue — have taken steps to expand mail-in voting in recent months as a way to curb the spread of COVID-19 and safely hold elections in November.
“Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” he tweeted.
Trump is currently trailing Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls as public disapproval over his response to the pandemic and to protests against police brutality grows.
Watch Stirewalt below:
Fox News editor says Trump's suggestion to delay the elections is a "flagrant expression of his current weakness." pic.twitter.com/0ne9lpyVlQ
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 30, 2020
