Having seen a great deal through the years, I have grown quite pessimistic about the future, especially in regard to the U.S. Yes, there are those who put great hope in the American midterms, imagining Democratic majorities in one or both houses that will rectify the atrocities the Trump administration has authored. There are two reasons, in my view, to check that optimism.
One is that when it comes to the issue most preoccupying Canadians, trade, the Democrats have traditionally been a protectionist party, wary of too much free trade. Ironically, until recently the Republicans have been the party of free, open trade. As well, judging by their official spokespeople, the Democrats always seem to be testing the political winds for their stances, offering nothing too radical when it comes to addressing Trump's excesses. One example is that they largely suggest mild reforms, such as better training, bodycams and no masks for ICE agents, despite their predations. I stand to be corrected, but I am not aware they have questioned the essential mission of ICE: to ferret out illegals, who seem now to be labelled as criminals by virtue of their immigration status.
The second, more disquieting reason to dampen one's optimism is the very real question of whether the midterms will see free and fair elections. I have long speculated that Trump might call a 'national emergency' to interfere with those elections. That speculation appears to be nearer to reality, if this report is to be credited.
Lawyers in support of Donald Trump are pushing the president to declare a national emergency to expand his powers ahead of the midterm elections, according to new reports.
The pro-Trump activists’ draft executive order will claim China interfered in the 2020 election to propel a national emergency declaration to give the president unprecedented power over voting, The Washington Post first reported.
The canard that China interfered with the 2020 elections has no basis in fact, but that claim fits into the narrative the MAGATS are always spinning.
A National Intelligence Council report on foreign threats to the 2020 election was declassified in March 2021. The report found China “considered but did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election.”
Not to be deterred by reality,
Peter Ticktin, a Florida lawyer who had represented Trump in a later dismissed 2022 lawsuit about claims his campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, is pushing the draft executive order.
Indeed, Ticktin even has a solution to the pesky problem that states are the ones responsible for elections, not the national government.
“But here we have a situation where the president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes.”
“That causes a national emergency where the president has to be able to deal with it,” he added.
On first glance, part of the new requirements, as outlined in SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) appear reasonable. (This act has not been passed by the Senate, and likely won't be.): proof of citizenship and photo ID. However, things aren't quite so simple for some.
As of now, at least 9% of voting-age American citizens – approximately 21 million people – do not even have driver’s licenses, let alone proof of citizenship. In spite of this, many legislators support the bill as a means of eliminating noncitizen voting in elections.
However, keep in mind that this is just one act. Trump has plans for even more stringent measures:
“There will be Voter ID for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel,” the president wrote on Truth Social February 13.
Given the dystopian nature of Trump's Amerika, one can assume other measures will be in place as well at the midterms, including a heavy presence of ICE agents at polling stations with significant minority populations. If the Minnesota experience proves anything, where many stopped going to school, work, etc. for fear of being swept up by agents, many, more nationally will be afraid to leave their homes to go to the polls, increasing the likelihood of massive voter suppression.
It is one of the remaining potent tools available to an increasingly unpopular president and Republican Congress, who will not surrender power, even if democracy demands it.
