US President Donald Trump has pulled back on the idea of a “delay” to November’s presidential election just hours after suggesting it.
Mr Trump was criticised by both the Republicans and the Democrats after raising the possibility of delaying the poll as he made unsubstantiated allegations that increased postal voting will result in fraud.
READ MORE: US election: Donald Trump faces unsettling polling data as US election draws closer
The president told reporters: “Do I want to see a date change? No. But I don’t want to see a crooked election.”
It marked a shift in the language of a president lagging in the polls and grappling with deepening economic and public health crises.
His earlier suggestion of the delay drew immediate pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike in a nation that has held itself up as a beacon to the world for its history of peaceful transfer of power.
READ MORE: Donald Trump says he has 'tested positively toward negative' for coronavirus
My Administration has been focused on finding treatments for Coronavirus. If you’ve recovered from Coronavirus, donate your plasma today to help SAVE LIVES! Together, we will beat the Virus!
🌐https://t.co/YLpBCgf837 pic.twitter.com/IyO4livTLm
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Shifting Election Day is virtually impossible and the very idea represented another bracing attempt by Mr Trump to undermine confidence in the American political system.
The date of the presidential election — the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year — is enshrined in federal law and would require an act of Congress to change.
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