President Trump warned Friday that if there’s a significant delay in election results, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could become president.
Speaking at the 2020 Council for National Policy meeting, the president referenced a “mad” theory — unsure if it is fact — that if there is no result in the Nov. 3 election by Inauguration Day in January, Mrs. Pelosi would become president. The claim Mr. Trump cited could potentially be that the speaker of the House is third in line to the presidency, and if there is no declared president or vice president by the new term, the speaker would have to step into the role.
“That is part of their whole act,” Mr. Trump alleged of Democratic politicians, some of which have called for universal mail-in voting.
Mr. Trump and fellow Republicans have pushed back against widespread vote-by-mail, suggesting it leads to fraudulent voting.
His administration has pointed to areas in Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York that have seen issues in prior elections, suggesting there could be long delays in getting election results on Nov. 3, as well as the potential for fraud and election integrity issues.
The president suggested results may not be known for four weeks, possibly.
“This is about all of us. This is about the country,” Mr. Trump said. “I think this is a very disgraceful situation.”
Democrats have said there is a need for more mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while conservatives argue it is possible to social distance and stand in line at polling places to vote just as Americans are doing at grocery stores.
Liberal advocacy groups have filed lawsuits in more than a dozen states in an attempt to strike down some requirements — such as witness signatures — for mail-in voting this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
