“He will try to ensure Harris is denied 270 votes in the Electoral College, sending the election to the House, where Republicans are likely to have the numbers to choose Trump as the next president.”
A recent article published by Politico claimed that former President Donald Trump could attempt to overturn the 2024 election results if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris. The article claims that Trump, facing an array of criminal proceedings, has a strong incentive to win the presidency to potentially avoid legal consequences.
“Trump is heading into the 2024 election informed by his failure to overturn the results four years earlier. And his incentive to obtain the powers and protections of the White House is likely stronger than ever: If he loses, Trump will face an avalanche of criminal proceedings that could last the rest of his life. If he wins, they are likely to go away,” Politico reported.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin added to the speculation, saying, "No one knows exactly what Trump’s attack on the electoral system will be in 2024. What will he do this time?"
The article outlines several tactics it claims Trump might use, based on insights from lawmakers, investigators, party operatives, and other so-called experts. It claims that Trump could "deepen distrust in the election results by making unsupported or hyperbolic claims of widespread voter fraud and mounting longshot lawsuits challenging enough ballots to flip the outcome in key states."
Other potential strategies include pressuring state and county officials not to certify election results, encouraging GOP-controlled swing-state legislatures to appoint alternate electors, and relying on congressional Republicans to support these efforts by rejecting Democratic electors during certification.
“He will try to ensure Harris is denied 270 votes in the Electoral College, sending the election to the House, where Republicans are likely to have the numbers to choose Trump as the next president,” Politico suggested.
The article comes as election day is just a little more than two weeks away and polling between the two candidates shows a razor-thin margin. Both GOP and Democrat leaders have signaled some sort of hesitance to accept the results of the election should the opposing candidate secure enough electoral votes, signaling potential legal challenges in the days after the election.
Trump previously confirmed during the CNN presidential debate last summer that he would accept the results of the upcoming election "If it's a fair and legal and good election, absolutely."
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