Mike Pence is joining those expressing condemnation of Trump’s idea for the Constitution to be suspended in at least large part in connection to his ludicrous claims of misconduct in the most recent presidential election.
If essentially any prominent Democrat said anything of the sort, the Republican outrage would be apocalyptic. Instead, it’s confined to some of those who’ve already established their willingness to break with Trump in certain circumstances. “I must tell you that I think that everyone that serves in public office, everyone that aspires to serve or serve again should make it clear that we will support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Pence said in a new radio interview. It’s a remarkably low bar to acknowledge such a thing. Shouldn’t it be a safe bet that political leaders would relatively uniformly unite against someone explicitly pushing for the dismissal of the Constitution? And yet, it’s not.
There has — yet again — been no widespread condemnation among Republicans of the former president for his remarks, just like there wasn’t after he said that all those detained in connection to the attack on the Capitol should be released.
Trump eventually tried to do some damage control. “The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to “terminate” the Constitution,” he said Monday. “What I said was that when there is “MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION,” as has been irrefutably proven in the 2020 Presidential Election, steps must be immediately taken to RIGHT THE WRONG.” Suspending the Constitution just because you feel like it and doing so because you think there was widespread electoral misconduct that’s never been proven are both suspending the Constitution.
One of the main points of contention that’s recently emerged for those in Trump’s corner is Twitter’s temporary decision prior to the 2020 election to limit the spread of reporting on files ostensibly obtained from Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Twitter wasn’t the only source for information about that reporting! Besides ditching the Constitution, Trump is also advocating for either installing him as president now or redoing the 2020 election. “SIMPLY PUT, IF AN ELECTION IS IRREFUTABLY FRAUDULENT, IT SHOULD GO TO THE RIGHTFUL WINNER OR, AT A MINIMUM, BE REDONE. WHERE OPEN AND BLATANT FRAUD IS INVOLVED, THERE SHOULD BE NO TIME LIMIT FOR CHANGE!” he added Monday.
The idea of somehow undoing the last presidential election — now, in the middle of a presidential term and without any real evidence emerging of fraud — is the extreme length to which the guy who very well could secure the next Republican presidential nomination is willing to go. You could imagine some of how Trump might try to put his stated beliefs about the last presidential election into action if elected back into the White House. What if he pursues some kind of large-scale declaration of the supposed illegality of actions taken by the last administration? What about another purge of personnel across the government targeting those perceived as too loyal to Biden even if they’re a subject matter expert and not political? What about the possibility Trump pursues criminal charges for his opponents? Where does it end?
“I think everyone that serves in public office, that aspires to serve, or serve again, should make it clear we will support and defend the Constitution of the United States," Pence said this AM on radio, when asked about Trump's "terminate" all rules Truth, even the Constitution.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 5, 2022
