White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday condemned the decision to delay the Hong Kong legislative elections a day later President Trump
Donald John Trump Trump campaign cancels purchase of ads to review messaging strategy: Nunes report declines to respond if it received information from Ukraine lawmaker meant to harm Biden poll: plurality of ‘Generation Z’ voters says who see more Trump political announcements than Biden MORE He asked if the United States should postpone its own November elections.
“We condemn the Hong Kong government’s decision to postpone its legislative council elections for one year and disqualify opposition candidates,” McEnany said at a press conference, reading a prepared statement. “This action undermines the democratic processes and freedoms that have underpinned Hong Kong’s prosperity, and this is just the latest in a growing list of unfulfilled promises by Beijing, which promised autonomy and freedom to the Hong Kong people until 2047 in China. -Great Britain. Joint statement. “
The Hong Kong government announced on Friday that it would postpone elections scheduled for September due to the coronavirus pandemic, The New York Times reported, citing public health risks and campaign and voter tensions caused by the requirements of social distancing and travel restrictions.
Pro-democracy groups viewed the decision as an attempt to thwart opposition candidates who challenge those supported by Beijing. Protests against the establishment have rocked Hong Kong for more than a year and have faced increasingly severe measures from the Chinese mainland.
The White House’s clear condemnation of the decision was surprising given that Trump a day earlier had raised the idea of delaying the US election in November due to the coronavirus, citing unsubstantiated claims that mail ballots would lead to a fraudulent result.
With universal voting by mail (not absentee voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACTIVE and FRAUDULENT election in history. It will be a great shame for the United States. Delay the election until people can vote properly and safely ???
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Trump does not have the authority to move Election Day, and lawmakers from both parties quickly and overwhelmingly rejected the idea. But the tweet came amid Trump’s broader effort to sow mistrust in mail ballots, which will likely be used in large numbers as an alternative to in-person voting amid the pandemic.
“Do I want to see a date change? No. But I don’t want to see a corrupt choice. This election will be the most rigged election in history if that happens, “Trump told reporters Thursday, referring to an extensive vote by mail.
Experts have pointed out that there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in the mail ballot, which has been widely used for decades.
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