As the general election approaches, President Donald Trump is continuing his campaign against widespread access to the ballot box. He’s been ranting ad nauseum against mail-in voting, and this Wednesday morning, he did so again. He posted on Twitter in all caps that folks shouldn’t be so concerned about in-person voting and thereby drawn towards mail-in voting if they’re willing to protest in-person, but — as always — Trump misses some key facts here.
He posted:
‘IF YOU CAN PROTEST IN PERSON, YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON!’
IF YOU CAN PROTEST IN PERSON, YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2020
For starters, it’s not as though folks have been going around claiming that protests are automatically safe from the Coronavirus — many demonstrators have worn masks. Crucially, by all appearances, it’s the most physically vulnerable people who would be most susceptible to serious Coronavirus-induced illness in the first place. These folks may have never joined recent protests at all, but Trump seems ready and willing to ignore their concerns.
At times, Trump has tried to distinguish between “mail-in voting” (and sometimes “universal mail-in voting”) and “absentee voting.” They are the same thing. However, the basis that Trump has used for his attempt to distinguish the voting methods is that with “absentee” voting, voters have to request a ballot. With “universal mail-in voting,” ballots are sent out whether or not the voter requested it. That flimsy difference does not erase the fact that as a whole, the processes after the point of receiving the ballot are generally the exact same. And in many “absentee” voting set-ups, any registered voter can request a ballot, no questions asked — there’s not some kind of hoop that they have to jump though.
With what I am doing in the fight with the Drug Companies, drug prices will be coming down 50, 60, and even 70 per cent. The Democrats are fighting hard to stop me with big ad buys, plus. Likewise, Big Pharma. FAVORED NATIONS AND REBATES ARE BRINGING PRICES DOWN NOW. We will win!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2020
On Wednesday morning, Trump also claimed that Democratic political interests are fighting against his efforts to bring down drug prices. It’s unclear what he’s talking about — Democrats have long advocated for health care reforms like lowering prescription drug prices. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, Trump also posted a congratulations message to the far-right “activist” Laura Loomer after she won a Republican Congressional primary in a Florida district that she likely has no chance of actually winning in November. Loomer “once called herself a #ProudIslamophobe, has called Muslims “savages,” and has contributed to conspiracy theory site Infowars,” as The Washington Post reports.
Great going Laura. You have a great chance against a Pelosi puppet! https://t.co/pKZp35dUYr
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2020
Check out Twitter’s response below:
