Donald Trump's primetime address from the White House on Thursday night was a declaration of war on US elections, delivered in Orwellian fashion under the guise of protecting them, according to Austin Sarat, a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College.
The speech, which Sarat described as a fox announcing it would guard the henhouse, showcased Trump's obsession with the 2020 presidential election and his administration's efforts to deny his electoral defeat. The New York Times's Peter Baker called it 'an astonishing spectacle featuring a president intent on persuading the country that its elections cannot be trusted'.
Trump's Claims and the Lack of Evidence
Trump claimed that the 'election system is so broken and so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it' and outlined steps to protect elections from nonexistent threats. The New York Times noted that no evidence has emerged showing vote counts have been manipulated, and Trump's claims about voting machine technology are specious.
Sarat argued that Trump himself poses the gravest threat to election integrity. The speech, he said, prepared the country for potential disruptions in the 2026 midterms.
The Tradition of White House Addresses
Televised addresses from the White House began in 1947 with President Harry Truman speaking about post-war famine in Europe. Presidents since have used such addresses for matters of national importance, such as Dwight Eisenhower's 1957 speech on enforcing desegregation in Little Rock.
Trump's use of the White House address to discuss the 2020 election at a time of war and economic turmoil was shocking but not surprising, given his history of alleging rigged contests when he loses.
Trump's History of Election Denial
Trump's claims of fraud date back to his loss in the 2016 Iowa caucuses to Ted Cruz, whom he accused of fraud. Cruz responded, 'It ain't stealing when the voters vote against you – it is the voters reclaiming this country.'
After losing the popular vote in 2016, Trump claimed millions voted illegally. In 2020, he amplified false claims about fraudulent voting and rigged machines, which he repeated in his Thursday address.
Impact on Public Confidence
A PBS/NPR/Marist poll found that Americans' confidence in fair elections has dropped to its lowest point in years, a result of Trump's relentless campaign to undermine trust. Sarat concluded that it is up to the public to mobilize and resist Trump's plans.
