Trump Will Deflect All the Way to Election Day. Don’t Let Him.

Summary

President Trump's call to delay the November election is seen as a strategic distraction from more damaging issues, rather than a serious attempt to postpone the vote.

Abstract

The article suggests that President Trump's tweet proposing to delay the November election is a calculated ploy to divert public attention from unfavorable developments, such as a sharply contracting economy, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany, and the surging COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. While some speculate that Trump aims to delegitimize the election results to maintain his base's support post-presidency, the primary motive appears to be distraction. This tactic is part of a pattern where Trump makes outrageous statements to shift focus away from politically damaging situations. The article warns that falling into the trap of engaging with these provocations could detract from addressing the substantive issues at hand and the actual threats Trump poses to the country and democracy.

Opinions

Trump's tweet about postponing the election is not a genuine attempt to do so but rather a strategy to deflect attention from critical issues.
The president's distraction technique is a well-worn routine, previously used to overshadow scandals involving his administration and family.
Trump's use of federal troops in Portland and other divisive tactics have successfully diverted public discourse away from the economy and the pandemic.
The article implies that Trump's opponents should avoid engaging with his provocations and instead focus on the real consequences of his actions and policies.
There is a concern that Trump may employ further disruptive measures as the election approaches, potentially including attempts to disrupt voting processes and disenfranchise voters.
The piece advises that staying focused on the substantive threats posed by Trump's presidency is crucial for the health of the nation's democracy.

He’s not trying to postpone the election — he’s baiting us.

President Donald Trump tweeted again Thursday, calling for delaying the November election. Trump, of course, knows full well that the election cannot and will not be postponed. Only Congress has the authority to postpone an election, and with Democratic control of the House of Representatives, it will not happen. Even Republican leaders, themselves up for reelection, have been dismissive.

Screen capture from Donald Trump’s Twitter feed

So, in a quite transparent way, Trump’s tweet is very much not about postponing the elections. What is it about, then?

Some commentators have noted that, with this tweet and others, Trump hopes to delegitimize election results in case he is defeated. Delegitimizing election results won’t help him stay in office, but it could help him preserve support from his base, useful for making money in post-presidency.

There is likely some truth in this observation. But it’s more likely the backup plan than the primary motive.

The primary motive is likely distraction.

This is, after all, Trump’s signature move: Say something outrageous to shift attention away from something more politically damaging.

What could be more politically damaging? A Commerce Department report released the same morning, showing the economy shrinking at an alarming and unprecedented rate, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falling 32.9% on an annualized basis; or the pull out of 12,000 American troops from Germany in an effort to appease Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced the previous day; or a pandemic that this week has crossed 150,000 deaths in the United States, with no sign of stopping.

This is hardly the first time Trump has used outrageous comments to deflect attention. If anything, it’s a well-worn routine by now. Ambassador John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, revealed in June that Trump publicly defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in an effort to bury Ivanka Trump’s email scandal. Bolton quotes Trump as saying: “This will divert from Ivanka. […] If I read the statement in person, that will take over the Ivanka thing.”

Trump uses these baiting techniques because they often work. Few Americans have heard about Ivanka’s email scandal. Similarly, the Administration’s use of federal troops in Portland has successfully shifted some of the public’s attention, especially among Republicans, away from the economy and Coronavirus. Early in the Administration, Trump successfully used tweets blaming the FBI and former Obama Administration officials to deflect attention from and muddle revelations about his campaign’s collusion with Russia.

Trump’s use of outrageous and divisive tweets has exploded since March, along with the pandemic. For the most part, the American political world has resisted the temptation to run down Trump’s myriad rabbit holes, now wiser from years of dealing with Trump.

But this most recent tweet is different because it touches directly on the central nerve of Trump’s opponents. For months now, activists and commentators have warned that Trump will likely try to disrupt the November election. Back in April, Democratic candidate Joe Biden himself raised the possibility that Trump would try to postpone the election.

Now that Trump has given them the evidence they’ve been expecting, it will be tempting for Democrats and their allies to pounce and remind the President of his constitutional limits. He will likely respond with more alarming tweets, Democrats will pounce again, and so the back and forth will go on.

Meanwhile, lost in the manufactured controversy will be the very real lives, livelihoods, and jobs lost each day. Lost will be the concessions to Russia. Lost will be whatever other surprises Trump has in store.

If Trump is playing to win, his only hope can be that people will be too distracted to notice the real damage he’s currently causing and will continue to cause until Election Day (and beyond).

There is still plenty of time for an October surprise, with or without Russia’s help. There is still the possibility of mail delays and closed polling locations being used to disenfranchise voters.

We are still miles away from November 3rd. There will be plenty of other distracting tweets and statements.

Until then, Trump’s opponents would do well to focus their attention and energies on the real threat he poses to our country and democracy.