Lawyers’ Committee Statement On Trump Tweet Suggesting Delay In November Election
Statement of Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
“Dictators and despots seek to delay elections and rig the rules to maintain their grip on power. But this has never been the case in American democracy. President Trump seeks to promote chaos and confusion by suggesting that the nation’s November 3rd election should be delayed or postponed. President Trump has absolutely no power to postpone or delay the election.
“Sadly, Trump’s autocratic tweet lands on the same day legendary voting rights icon Rep. John Lewis will be laid to rest in Georgia. The president’s statement completely contradicts John Lewis’s lifelong efforts to promote voting rights and open elections for all Americans.”
Background:
Election Day is set by the U.S. Congress. Even if Congress moved the date, the president’s term expires on January 20, 2021, and this cannot be moved or altered except by constitutional amendment.
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About the James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate at the Lawyers’ Committee – The James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate, at the Lawyers’ Committee, supports communities and individuals targeted for hate and challenges white supremacy by using creative legal advocacy, disrupting systems that enable hate, and educating the general public and policymakers. The Byrd Center’s resource and reporting hotline for hate incidents, 1-844-9-NO-HATE (1-844-966-4283), connects people and organizations combating hate with the resources and support they need. For more information please visit: https://www.lawyerscommittee.
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