Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20201207

A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 7 December 2020

Trump tactics to overturn election could have staying power

(AP) — Even after he exits somehow escaped layers held an unofficial meeting his resignation from fellow so an audit could be done —
the White House, Presi- of security and scrutiny by where Trump’s lawyers re- Republicans and threats, and despite an extensive county
dent Donald Trump’s ef- election workers across the peated claims of irregularities Aaron Van Langevelde, one canvassing process that did
forts to challenge the le- country. They have filed law- with the state’s vote count of two Republicans on the not find significant irregu-
gitimacy of the election suits without evidence, tried but provided no evidence of Michigan board that certified larities. He ultimately con-
and seeking to overturn to pressure state lawmakers widespread fraud. The chair- that state’s results. ceded.
the will of voters could into seating their own presi- woman of the Arizona GOP While the other Republi- Using the 2020 election as a
have staying power. dential electors and sought asked a court to overturn can on the Michigan board springboard to create more
to influence low-level party Biden’s win in the state. abstained, Van Langevelde trust in the process would
Trump’s tactics are already members who sit on the state The effort then shifted to said he was required under help, said David Carroll,
inspiring other candidates and local boards that certify Michigan, where Trump law- state law to certify Biden’s head of the democracy pro-
and have been embraced by election results. yer Rudy Giuliani appeared win. The result, Foley noted, gram at the Carter Center,
a wide array of Republicans. This is despite the fact that at a four-hour legislative could have easily been dif- founded by former President
Supporters include congres- the federal government’s own hearing to argue that fraud ferent if other Republicans Jimmy Carter and his wife,

sional candidates, state law- cybersecurity arm declared had occurred. more open to Trump’s argu- Rosalynn.
makers, party chairs, con- the presidential election “the “Throughout this hearing, ments had occupied those That could involve requiring
servative legal groups and most secure in American his- my colleagues continued to same positions. state and local election of-
appointees to previously tory,” and Attorney General speak in circles about ‘get- “What makes this year’s nar- ficials to be nonpartisan and
little-known state vote-certi- William Barr said the Depart- ting to the bottom of this.’ row escape so unnerving is appointed rather than elect-
fication boards. The breadth ment of Justice uncovered no But we’re already at the bot- how far the plot to overthrow ed by party, clarifying vague
of support for Trump’s effort evidence that would change tom, and there’s nothing the election got with so little election laws, implementing
could be a troubling sign for the outcome. down here,” said Michigan factual ammunition,” Foley federal standards for parts
future elections. Even so, Trump has found state Rep. Darrin Camilleri, said. of the process and ensuring
“What this president is doing friendly lawmakers and par- a Democrat. “Down here at Others believe Trump’s be- more training for election
is poisoning democracy,” for- ty officials willing to bolster the bottom of all this, it’s just havior is more of a fluke and workers and volunteers.
mer Michigan Gov. Jennifer his claims and adopt his tac- a dark, empty place.” unlikely to result in any last- “There was a lot of discussion
Granholm said. “And, yes, he tics. On Friday, a group of 64 On Thursday, a legislative ing damage to the electoral before the election that the
is setting a precedent, sug- GOP lawmakers in Pennsyl- committee in Georgia re- process. process might not be cred-
gesting that it is OK to violate vania signed a statement urg- ceived testimony from a “Everybody knows that it’s ible. Those are the things we
these norms that have made ing Congress not to accept Trump campaign attorney just because they lost,” said see around the world where
our country great.” the state’s slate of electors for about purported irregulari- Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John democracy is weak,” Carroll
Granholm, a Democrat, Democrat Joe Biden. They ties despite a hand count and Fetterman, a Democrat. said. “It will be important for
joined with former New cited a litany of complaints machine audit that revealed “There isn’t anyone from the us to sit down as a nation and
Jersey Gov. Christine Todd over how the election was no major problems with the president on down that gen- as a society and say we don’t
Whitman, a Republican, to conducted. vote. uinely believed that there was want this to happen again.
raise concerns about Trump’s “A number of people have Election law experts say time any real fraud. That’s what If we don’t, it’s likely that it
refusal to concede and efforts shown themselves willing will tell whether Trump’s ap- makes it so disingenuous.” could.”
to undermine the integrity of to go along or at least being proach and the support it has A few candidates have fol- Trump’s strategy, even if it
elections. perceived of going along in- generated in the GOP repre- lowed Trump’s lead, refusing fails, will probably still be an
“This is not who we are as stead of just condemning the sent a shift in how candidates to concede and seeking ex- effective rallying tool for sup-
Americans, and we don’t entire operation,” said Wen- handle defeat. traordinary measures to ad- porters, and it has generated
want the public coming away dy Weiser with the Brennan “Next time could be worse,” dress their concerns. at least $170 million in dona-
from this thinking this is the Center for Justice at New constitutional law expert Ed- A Pennsylvania congressional tions since Election Day. As
norm,” said Whitman, who York University Law School. ward B. Foley warned in an candidate who lost his race Trump hints at running for
served in President George “It was not written off as it op-ed last week while offer- has yet to concede and signed president again, he will need
W. Bush’s administration. should have been.” ing praise for the few Repub- on to a lawsuit challenging his supporters to stay ener-
Trump and his allies have In recent days, lawmakers licans willing to stand up to the validity of all mail ballots gized and on his side.
pushed conspiracies involv- in battleground states have Trump. cast this year. A Republican “I don’t think it’s going to
ing voting machines manipu- provided friendly forums Those included Georgia Sec- candidate for U.S. Senate in go away,” said Democratic
lated by dead foreign lead- for Trump allies to air their retary of State Brad Raffens- Michigan called on the state California Secretary of State
ers and tens of thousands of suspicions. A group of GOP perger, who certified his to take the unprecedented Alex Padilla, “because I don’t
fraudulent mail ballots that state lawmakers in Arizona state’s election amid calls for step of delaying certification think he is going away.”

Fire guts historic church home to New York’s Liberty Bell

(AP) — A historic church in lower Manhat- gregation of the Collegiate Churches of New York,
tan that houses New York’s Liberty Bell and which date to the Dutch settlement of the island in
whose congregation dates to the city’s earli- the 1620s, according to the church’s website.
est days was gutted by a massive fire early Sat- The Middle Collegiate Church had been in two
urday that sent flames shooting through the other locations in Manhattan since 1729.
roof. The bell tower houses New York’s Liberty Bell,
which pealed to mark the birth of the nation in
The Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village 1776 and has since been rung for the inaugurations
burned before dawn after a fire spread from a five- and deaths of American presidents and events such
story vacant building adjacent to the church around as remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks, according
5 a.m. Flames shot from the roof and the church’s to the church.
stately front window glowed from the conflagra- Lewis believed the bell survived the fire but was
tion inside. not certain. Church minister Amanda Ashcraft told
“We are devastated. We are gutted like our building WABC that the Tiffany stained glass windows were
is gutted; our hearts are crushed like our doors are gone.Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that the fire was
crushed,” said the Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis. “But we “heartbreaking” and pledged: “We’ll do whatever
know how to be the church, and we know that God we can to help Middle Collegiate rebuild.”
is God, yesterday, today and tomorrow.” The fate of the church building is unclear, Lewis
The fire department said in an Instagram post that said, but the ministry will continue.
there were four minor injuries to firefighters and “Our church has been worshipping digitally since
that marshals were investigating the blaze. March 15,” Lewis said. “And that’s what we’ll be
Built in 1892, the church is home to the oldest con- doing tomorrow.”