‘Absolutely Disgusting’: Trump Sparks Fury By Joking He Can Cancel Future Elections If U.S. Gets Into a War
President Donald Trump sparked a wave of anger on Monday when he joked with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that if the U.S. were in a war, like Ukraine, he could stop holding elections.
The moment happened after Zelensky was asked by pro-MAGA reporter Brian Glenn if Ukraine would have elections in the future, a regular talking point of Zelensky’s critics on the right. Zelensky explained that Ukraine can’t hold elections under the current Russian siege, which has disrupted day-to-day life and endangered basic infrastructure.
“So you say during the war, you can’t have elections. So let me just say, three and a half years from now, so you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections. Oh, that’s good. I wonder what the fake news—” Trump replied as Zelensky quipped, “You like this idea?”
Trump has long raised the specter of staying in office past the two constitutionally allowed terms, often using memes and jokes to “troll” his critics.
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was not amused and replied to a clip of the remark, “Watch Trump fantasize about dragging America into a war as a pretense to cancel our elections. The room may have laughed, but HE. IS. NOT. JOKING. He wants to be a forever dictator, just like his idol Putin. And he’s going to feed his need for power, no matter how many Americans suffer along the way.”
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) replied, “The cost of war is serious and it is absolutely disgusting for Donald Trump to float the idea of it for his own personal political gain.”
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat added, “On brand and as forecast: “When Strongmen Go to War.” Then once at war they may prolong the conflict to stay in power. Netanyahu is the most recent example.”
Below are some more reactions:
__
