WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump\u2019s suggestion of postponing the November election drew condemnation from Republican officials in the states and on\u2026<\/b>
\nWASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump\u2019s suggestion of postponing the November election drew condemnation from Republican officials in the states and on Capitol Hill as they tried to bat away questions their own party leader had raised about the legitimacy of that upcoming vote.
Trump on Thursday tweeted unsubstantiated allegations that the election would be \u201cinaccurate and fraudulent\u201d due to the widespread use of mail-in voting. It\u2019s a claim that\u2019s been debunked by election security experts and the five states that already rely exclusively on mail-in ballots. He went on to suggest a delay in the election \u2014 something he cannot legally do on his own.
The date of the presidential election \u2014 the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year \u2014 is enshrined in federal law. Changing it now would require an act of Congress, including agreement from the Democratic-controlled House.
Top Republicans in Congress quickly rebuffed Trump.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the election date is set in stone. The House GOP leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, said the election \u201cshould go forward\u201d as planned.
In the states, Republican leaders said officials are doing all they can to ensure voting systems are secure and reliable.
\u201cMake no mistake: the election will happen in New Hampshire on November 3rd. End of story,\u201d said Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N. H. Like officials in other states, he said his own state\u2019s voting system is \u201csecure, safe and reliable.\u201d
BATTLEGROUND STATE REPUBLICANS SAY NO
GOP Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Chuck Grassley of Iowa \u2014 two frequent Trump defenders from states Democrats are contesting heavily this year \u2014 dismissed the idea outright.
\u201cNobody\u2019s gonna change anything until we change the law,\u201d Grassley said, noting that the election process is spelled out in the Constitution. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what one individual in this country says,\u201d the senator said. \u201cWe are still are a country based on the rule of law and we want to follow the law.\u201d
Rubio said this year\u2019s election will be \u201ccredible\u201d and \u201cthe same as it\u2019s always been.\u201d
\u201cPeople should have confidence in it,\u201d he added.
Wisconsin\u2019s legislative leadership panned the idea. The Assembly speaker, Republican Robin Vos, said on Twitter that there should be no delay. \u201cElections need to happen for democracy to function,\u201d Vos said.
Wisconsin Republicans had opposed a move by the Democratic governor to delay the state\u2019s April presidential primary due to the pandemic.
The majority leader in the Assembly, Jim Steineke, who has broken with Trump in the past, tweeted \u201cHard NO\u201d after Trump floated the idea of a delay. Steineke has also criticized Trump for not encouraging mail-in voting for Republicans.
RED-STATE REPUBLICANS BREAK WITH TRUMP
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he believes election fraud \u201cis a serious problem,\u201d but that \u201cno, we should not delay the elections.\u201d
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S. D., tweeted: \u201cMoving Election Day would seriously jeopardize the legitimacy of the election. Federal, state and local officials need to continue to work hard to ensure that Americans can vote safely, whether by voting early or on November 3.\u201d
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said his office opposes Trump\u2019s suggestion and called on the Kansas delegation to Congress to do the same. More than 300,000 Kansans received advance by mail ballots for this year\u2019s primary elections, and the state expects there may be higher use of mail ballots for the general election.
\u201cIn Kansas, we have implemented measures to ensure the security and safety of the August and November elections,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cNow is not the time to act in fear but to show the world we are courageous.\u201d
Likewise, West Virginia\u2019s secretary of state, Republican, Mac Warner, said his state is preparing to \u201cprovide a safe and secure election in November.\u201d
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Associated Press writers Dustin Weaver in Washington, Roxana Hegeman in Topeka, Kansas; Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston, West Virginia; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; and Holly Ramer in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
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