Delays In Transition

It’s clear to anyone who’s been paying attention that Mr. Trump will do just about anything to hold onto the presidency.

- For months, he made vague and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud.

- Since Election Day, he and his surrogates have claimed that the election was stolen.

- His legal team filed dozens of lawsuits. Each was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

- His surrogates pushed conspiracy theories in outrageous press conferences.

- He has attempted to convince local and state officials to delay certification of election results.

- He has tried to convince state legislatures to ignore the voters and appoint loyal electors.

Whether this strategy ultimately succeeds, it’s dangerous in several ways.

American elections have never been perfect, but for centuries they have served as the global standard for representative democracy. It’s a standard that much of the world tried to emulate and unscrupulous authoritarians tried to avoid. It’s going to be difficult for the US to promote democracy abroad now that they world has witnessed such a blatantly undemocratic power grab occurring within our own electoral system.

Here in the US, Mr. Trump’s win at all costs strategy has weakened our democratic institutions and has set a precedent that power-hungry politicians could leverage in attempts to undermine future elections.

But the delays that have resulted from Mr. Trump’s challenges don’t just set a dangerous precedent. They represented a clear and present danger to our national security as the Biden team has been blocked from receiving critical security briefings. Further, these politicsl delays will ultimately impact the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines which the Biden Administration will ultimately deliver.

Perhaps the most astonishing revelation is that Mr. Trump doesn’t seem to have any interest in performing the responsibilities of the position that he so desperately wants to retain. He’s not managing the pandemic. He’s not urging Congress to provide financial relief to citizens and businesses (or municipalities) that could keep them going during the months that it will take to distribute the vaccine. He’s not helping to secure the production of tests or personal protective equipment for medical professionals. All he seems to want to do with his time is golf and watch television. 

Mr. Trump, you can do those things as a private citizen. It’s time to get out of the way and let the country move forward.