suggested postponing national elections?

The day for elections is established in the Constitution, so any such change requires new legislation. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution also specifically states that Presidential terms conclude on the following January 20th, Inauguration Day. No legislation is likely to be passed that would allow for any change.

The next person in order of succession is the speaker of the House. However, if there were no election, that seat would too be vacant, as the House has two-year terms that conclude on January 3 following the election. The next individual in line is president pro tempore of the Senate, who is the senior Senator of the majority party and presides over the Senate in the Vice President’s absence. The Senator who holds the title – Chuck Grassley of Iowa – is also up for reelection in 2020, and so his seat would similarly be vacant if no election were held. Because of the number of Senate seats up for re-election, if no election was held, Democrats would gain the majority in the chamber, and because the process of selecting the president pro tempore is informal, could choose any among them.

Trump claimed he lost the 2016 popular vote because of widespread fraud, though the commission he established to investigate it found none. Since then he has disparaged mail-in and other measures for easier voting, though he and his family vote by mail themselves, and has yet to confirm if he would accept 2020 election results.

At the same time that Trump made the suggestion to postpone elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic, his administration pushed for a full re-opening of schools across the United States.

NPR – Trump Floats Delaying The Election. It Would Require A Change In Law
Constitution Daily – Does the Constitution allow for a delayed presidential election?
Politico – Postpone the Election? That Could Mean President Biden

retweeted a claim that his own CDC was lying about COVID-19?

On July 13, 2020, Trump retweeted former game show host Chuck Woolery, who pushed to reopen schools amid record new cases of COVID-19. He alleged that scientific evidence pointed to the move, and that Democrats, Media, the CDC, and “our Doctors” had been lying about the disease.

Tweets from former game show host Chuck Woolery that were retweeted by the president of the United States.
Trump retweets former game show host Chuck Woolery, on the morning of Jul 13, 2020.

When asked if endorsing comments that doubted his own Center for Disease Control would be confusing to the public, Trump replied,

I didn’t make a comment. I reposted a tweet that a lot of people feel. But all I am doing is making a comment. I’m just putting somebody’s voice out there. There are many voices. There are many people that think we shouldn’t do this kind of testing, because all we do, it’s a trap.

Three days later, Woolery deleted his Twitter account upon learning that his son tested positive for COVID-19.

On the day of the retweet, the United States totaled 3,483,584 cases and 120,004 deaths.

The Hill – Trump retweets game show host who said CDC is lying about coronavirus to hurt him politically
The Hill – Game show host retweeted by Trump deletes his account after announcing his son has coronavirus
The Baltimore Sun – After Trump retweets game show host saying CDC and doctors are lying, coronavirus task force pushes back: ‘None of us lie’
Deadline – Donald Trump, In CBS News Interview, Defends His Retweet Of Chuck Woolery’s Claim That CDC Officials Are Lying About COVID-19
Worldometer – Coronavirus Cases, United States

promoted Goya products in the Oval Office?

On July 9, 2020, Goya CEO Robert Unanue appeared at the White House Rose Garden to praise Trump. Unanue likened Trump to his grandfather, who founded Goya, saying “We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder. And that’s what my grandfather did.”

The remarks immediate sparked backlash against the company from critics of the administration. In response, Trump and his daughter Ivank posed with various Goya products, posting them on Instagram and Twitter.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrAzKiBFUQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

The photos were met with another round of backlash, as they appeared to violate federal ethics rules about using one’s position for promotional purposes. Federal law outlining the standards of conduct for employees in the executive branch are directly prohibited from using the office for private gain:

§ 2635.702 Use of public office for private gain.

An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity, including nonprofit organizations of which the employee is an officer or member, and persons with whom the employee has or seeks employment or business relations. The specific prohibitions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section apply this general standard, but are not intended to be exclusive or to limit the application of this section.

Various members of the Trump administration violated such provisions.

Business Insider – Trump posts photo of himself grinning alongside Goya products in the Oval Office, as critics accuse Ivanka Trump of violating ethics rules for promoting the company’s beans
Politico – Struggling with Latinos, Trump hypes Goya food fight
The Washington Post – Ivanka Trump posts photo holding Goya beans, draws criticism for using her position to promote a product
Cornell University Legal Information Institute – 5 CFR § 2635.702 – Use of public office for private gain.

said he’d met Epstein child trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell numerous times and wished her well?

In a July 21, 2020 press conference, Trump answered a question about Ghislaine Maxwell by saying,

I don’t know, I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly. I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.

The week prior, Maxwell was denied bail as she awaited trial for recruiting underage girls for billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein allegedly killed himself in prison after being charged with sex trafficking.

From left, American real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 12, 2000.
Trump and Melania with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, FL, Feb. 12, 2000. Davidoff Studios / Getty Images

Trump again said he wished her well in an August 4 interview.

She’s now in jail. Yeah, I wish her well. I’d wish you well. I’d wish a lot of people well. Good luck. Let them prove somebody was guilty.

In 2002, Trump referred to Epstein as “a terrific guy,” explaining that he “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

By contrast, Trump referred to NFL player Colin Kaepernick as a “son of a bitch” for taking a knee to protest police violence. He also based a great degree of his 2016 campaign on promising to lock up political opponent Hillary Clinton for alleged crimes, though he explained he didn’t mean it after winning the election.

Associated Press – Trump says of Ghislaine Maxwell, ‘I wish her well’
Time – ‘I Wish Her Well,’ Trump Says of Ghislaine Maxwell, Who Stands Accused of Facilitating the Abuse of Girls by Jeffrey Epstein
Axios – Trump defends wishing Ghislaine Maxwell “good luck” in prison

said he wouldn’t accept 2020 election results?

During an interview with Chris Wallace, Trump claimed that Fox News polls showing him losing to Biden were fake, and declined to answer definitively if he would accept the 2020 election results if he lost.

I have to see. Look, you – I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say ‘yes.’

Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting despite the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, though he used mail-in voting himself. In the lead up to the 2016 campaign, Trump similarly declined to say whether he would accept the election results. Even though he ultimately won, he blamed the loss of the popular vote on mass voter fraud.

During the same interview, Trump bragged about completing a basic cognitive function test.

Business Insider – Trump foreshadows that he could refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election if he loses
Time – ‘I Have to See.’ President Trump Refuses to Say If He Will Accept the 2020 Election Results
Forbes – Pelosi Slams Trump’s Suggestion He Won’t Accept Election Results: ‘He Will Be Leaving’

blocked Dr. Fauci from testifying to Congress amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

On May 1, 2020, the White House announced that they would prevent top health official Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying to a congressional committee examining the administration’s pandemic response. the White House called it “counterproductive” to have individuals involved in the response testify. White House spokesman Judd Deere said that the administration was “committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time.”

At the time, the US totaled 1,136,266 cases and 67,031 deaths. The White House later also blocked the CDC from testifying to Congress about school re-openings.

Reuters – White House blocks Fauci from testifying to Congress on coronavirus response
The Hill – White House blocks Fauci from testifying before Congress
NPR -White House Denies Congressional Request For Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Testimony
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

blocked the CDC from testifying to Congress about school re-openings amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

In July 2020, officials from the Center for Disease Control were blocked by the White House from testifying to the House Education and Labor Committee about school re-openings. The move came amid record-breaking spikes in COVID-19 cases.

The same week, hospitals were ordered to circumvent the CDC and report patient data to a new database controlled by the Department of Health and Human Services. The White House also previously prevented top health official Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying to Congress.

Fox News – White House blocks CDC boss from testifying on reopening schools amid coronavirus
CNN – White House blocks CDC from testifying on reopening schools next week
USA Today – Reports: White House blocked CDC Director Redfield and other officials from testifying on school reopenings

ordered hospitals to bypass the CDC and report COVID-19 information directly to his administration?

As of July 15, 2020, the Trump administration issued an order demanding hospitals to report COVID-19 patient data directly to the Department of Health and Human Services, rather than the Center for Disease Control.

The White House claimed that the CDC’s collection and reporting system, which has historically been used for the collection of disease data, was too slow and ineffectual for COVID-19 reporting. CDC Director Robert Redfield has also asserted that the move would streamline data collection and reporting.

Other senior CDC officials, hospital epidemiologists, and Democrat Senators have raised concerns over the move, alleging that it puts the transparency and legitimacy of the reported numbers into question. It was considered especially alarming, as Trump previously said he asked officials to slow down testing to keep COVID-19 cases artificially low. The private company managing the new collection system, TeleTracking Technologies, Inc., was awarded the $10 million contract in a non-competitive bid.

The change came amid new record-breaking spikes in US COVID-19 cases. On the day of the change, the US totaled 3,621,637 cases and 140,155 deaths. The same week, the White House also blocked the CDC from testifying to Congress about school re-openings.

The New York Times – Trump Administration Strips C.D.C. of Control of Coronavirus Data
NPR – White House Strips CDC Of Data Collection Role For COVID-19 Hospitalizations
USA Today – Trump administration cuts CDC out of data collection on hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The move has immediate effect
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

bragged about completing a cognitive test?

After taking the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA, Trump claimed that his doctors were “very surprised” at the results of his test, which he said he “aced.” However, the White House has not released any details about the results of the exam.

In a July 19, 2020 Fox News interview with Chris Wallace, Trump also challenged Biden to take the exam. He said that the questions “get very hard,” and didn’t think Wallace would be able to answer them.

However, the creators of the exam have themselves described it as simple, intended only to test basic cognitive function rather than as any measure of intelligence. The one-page test can be easily found online.

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

During the same interview, Trump declined to answer if he would accept the 2020 election results.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment – MoCA Test
The New York Times – Trump Says He ‘Aced’ Cognitive Test, but White House Won’t Release Details
The New York Times – Trump Says He ‘Aced’ a Cognitive Test. What Does That Really Mean?
Market Watch – The doctor behind a cognitive test Trump took says ‘it’s supposed to be easy’
Forbes – Trump Says He Recently ‘Aced’ This Test: What Exactly Does That Mean?
Fox News – Trump challenges Biden to mental exam, says Chris Wallace would not score as high as he did

toured a Maine factory without a mask, which then discarded the day’s production?

On June 5, 2020, Trump toured a production facility for medical swabs in Maine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump and his entourage wore no mask or protective covering. The workers present wore extensive personal protection equipment, including lab coats, masks, gloves, goggles, hair coverings and plastic booties.

Trump visits Maine production facility on June 5, 2020. AP

The company, Puritan Medical Products, said it would discard the swabs that were being manufactured at the time of Trump’s visit. The company’s press release clarified that a limited production was run for the visit, and that it was always intended that what was produced that day would be discarded.

At that time, nasal swabs for specimens were in low supply, and a third of Maine nursing homes reported having none. Sarah Gideon, Democratic candidate for US Senate, criticized any disruption of production for critical medical supplies.

On the day of Trump’s visit, the United States totaled 1,967,359 cases and had suffered 113,798 deaths.

Trump had drawn criticism for visiting medical production facilities in May without a mask. During one he said he wanted to avoid giving the press “the pleasure,” while “Life and Let Die” played over loudspeakers during the other.

USA Today – As Trump touts increased production, coronavirus swabs made during his Maine factory tour will be tossed in the trash
Business Insider – A Maine factory says it will have to discard all coronavirus swabs made during Trump’s factory tour
Snopes – Did a Medical Manufacturer Destroy Swabs After Trump’s Visit?
Worldometer – Coronavirus Cases, United States

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