(CLO) If Kamala Harris wins by a narrow margin, what will Donald Trump and his supporters do? Recent developments suggest that the threat of violence could resurface in the US election, similar to what happened in 2020.
Trump has repeatedly stressed that he would only lose if the Democrats cheated, a move that suggests he might consider any victory by Harris illegitimate.
Many people predict he will try to overturn a Democratic victory, as he did in the 2020 election, and his supporters may try to help him in some way.
Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized that the only way he could lose the election is if the Democratic Party cheats. Photo: Getty
Washington, D.C., is shut down amid fears of violence.
Businesses are closing in Washington as the U.S. capital prepares for a tense presidential election on Tuesday (November 5), due to fears of a repeat of the shocking violence that erupted after the 2020 vote.
City authorities have warned of an "unstable and unpredictable security environment" in the days and possibly weeks following the closure of polling stations, and stated that they do not believe a winner can be determined on Election Day.
But in this year's election, there are several new safeguards that make that more difficult. Mr. Trump is also not the incumbent president and cannot use the powers of the executive branch. Authorities are also better prepared to prevent incidents similar to the riots at the Capitol in 2021.
However, if Trump fails to win despite the right-wing's expectations, the rage of his supporters could be far more intense than in 2020, leading to dangerous and chaotic events.
Concerns about a crisis if Harris wins by a narrow margin.
Last time in 2020, 74 million people voted for Trump, but very few of them helped him in his legal and procedural efforts to overturn the results.
Pro-Trump protesters, including far-right groups like the Proud Boys, began appearing in greater numbers in the final months of 2020 in Washington, D.C., and state capitals.
Then, on December 19, 2020, Mr. Trump tweeted (now X) that there would be a "Big Rally in DC on January 6," adding, "Come there, it's going to be a lot of fun!"
It appears this tweet mobilized over 50,000 people, of whom approximately 10,000 went to the Capitol grounds. Of those, about 2,000 went inside the building.
This time, if Trump continues to declare victory regardless of the election results, his supporters could blame the Biden administration for stealing the election to give Harris power. Elon Musk's ownership of X could help Trump spread information about election fraud more effectively.
Is American democracy under threat?
Of course, there is still reason to hope the situation won't get that bad. Despite many predictions following the Capitol attack, that event did not trigger a new wave of far-right violence during Biden's presidency.
Perhaps the American public, including the right wing, simply isn't involved in or interested in politics , and they wouldn't care much if Trump complained about the election results.
This month, the Washington Post asked dozens of Trump supporters at rallies what they would do if Trump lost. Almost all responded that they would accept the outcome.
However, the risk is that Trump and the most hardline MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters will push for something different to try to regain power. And if they can convince millions of Trump voters to join them, the threat of a crisis will be very real.
Ngoc Anh (according to Vox)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/moi-lo-khung-hoang-bau-cu-my-neu-ba-harris-thang-sit-sao-post319659.html
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