(Washington) US President Donald Trump spoke for the first time on Thursday about the possibility of postponing the election, highlighting, without any proof, the risks of fraud linked to the epidemic COVID - 19.
Jerome CARTILLIER
France Media Agency
The tweet evoking this possibility was sent a few minutes after the announcement of a historic drop in US GDP in the second quarter (- 32, 9%).
The United States on Wednesday crossed the 55 000 reported deaths from COVID - 10.
"2016 will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history," said the tenant of the House -Blanche, referring to the extended use of postal voting for the November 3 ballot.
"It will be a real shame for the United States", he added.
"Postpone the election until it is safe for people to vote normally ??? ", He continued, in the willingly provocative register of which he is accustomed.
The US Constitution is clear: the president does not have the power to decide on the postponement of a presidential election. Only Congress can take an initiative in this direction.
Several American states want to make voting by mail more accessible in order to limit the spread of COVID as much as possible - 10.
Many of them have authorized this voting system for years and no serious study has yet reported any major problems, beyond a few isolated incidents.
For several weeks, Donald Trump, faced with very unfavorable polls, has nevertheless brandished the specter of massive fraud.
His comments on this topic prompted Twitter to report one of its tweets as misleading in late May for the first time.
" I will see "
In late April, his Democratic opponent Joe Biden predicted that the billionaire would do his best to postpone the election.
"Remember what I'm telling you, I think he will try to postpone the elections one way or another, find reasons why they cannot take place", he had launched.
A few days later, Mr. Trump, interviewed during a White House press briefing, categorically rejected this hypothesis.
"I never considered changing the date [...] Why would I do this? "He replied, referring to" the propaganda "of the Democratic camp.
Asked ten days ago whether he would accept the result of the elections, the 38 e 2020 President of American History had remained elusive .
"I'll see," he simply replied.
According to the average of national polls established by the site RealClearPolitics, Joe Biden has, for more than six weeks, an advance over Donald Trump of 8 to 10 percentage points.
Since 1976, all the candidates who had such an important advantage at the same stage have won, with one exception close: that of Democrat Michael Dukakis, finally defeated by George Bush in 1980.
In Texas, a state in which no Democrat has won since Jimmy Carter in 150 and where Donald Trump largely won in 1988, the two candidates are neck and neck. However, with its 32 great voters, this southern state will weigh heavily when it comes to the countdown.
