WaPo’s Dan Balz: Trump’s Voter Fraud Lies Undermine Our Democracy
At Progressive Post Daily, we have been trying to sound the alarm about Donald Trump’s purposeful subversion of freedom of the press and democracy as have many others. But now many in the mainstream press are also starting to speak out against Trump’s dangerous lies.
Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent at The Washington Post wrote a piece this morning says it as plainly as it can be said: “Trump’s voter fraud claims undermine the democratic process and his presidency”
Here are some excerpts from
Dan Balz piece:
Trump’s voter fraud claims undermine the democratic process and his presidency
There is no benign explanation for President Trump’s false assertion that millions of people voted illegally in the last election. It is either a deliberate attempt to undermine faith in the democratic process, an exhortation to those who favor new restrictions on access to the ballot box or the worrisome trait of someone with immense power willing to make wild statements without any credible evidence.
By repeating as president what he had said as a candidate, for whatever purpose, Trump is now striking at the foundation of a democratic society. This is yet another example of Trump being willing to cast doubt on information, individuals or institutions that he believes threaten his legitimacy, challenge his authority or question his actions — from attacks on “phony polls” or the “dishonest media” to assertions now of vast voter fraud.
This is not a debate about the size of the crowd at last week’s presidential inauguration. That is a piddling controversy, compared with his claim that the election system overseen by the states is somehow riddled with fraud. Trump is chipping away at a shared public confidence in a system that is fundamental to a representative government for no apparent reason other than that he’s bothered by the fact that, although duly elected and now in the White House, he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by almost 3 million votes.
He went on to say:
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) implored Trump to stop repeating the indefensible. He said Trump could find himself in a situation where he undermines his own credibility. People will begin to doubt what Trump says, Graham warned. Many already do. But Graham must know that the president isn’t listening to that kind of advice. Trump will say what he wants when he wants. However, now that he is president, his words matter more than ever. Candidate Trump complained that the system was rigged. A president who says that, without evidence, is playing with fire.
Democrats have been quick to condemn Trump. To Trump, that’s to be expected and likely will reinforce in him the belief that he’s onto something real. Republicans, while not agreeing with the president, appear to want to pretend that what he is doing, if not exactly harmless, does not warrant their serious attention or a confrontation. They prefer to turn away, shake their heads about their president and hope that he stays focused on the issues on which he campaigned. Vice President Pence was among those Tuesday who wanted no part of the discussion about voter fraud.
Dan Balz then continued by saying later in the piece:
Early Wednesday, the president tweeted that he would ask for a “major investigation” into voter fraud. But it is far from clear what the scope of this possible investigation would be, what Trump’s real intentions are in calling for it (though he suggested strengthening voting procedures as a possible goal) or who would conduct it. Everyone should wait to hear more. The president has preferred his own version of what happened in November in the popular vote, even if that damages the very system of government atop which he now sits.
The next move is now his.
