News analysis

Nov 3 presidential polls will be acid test of America's resilience

Growing belief among observers that Trump could dispute the result if he should lose

PHOTO: AFP
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President Donald Trump, a master of distraction, stuck with an out-of-control pandemic, at best a stuttering economy, and bad job approval ratings, on Thursday suggested the Nov 3 presidential election could be delayed - something which has never before happened in the history of the US.

The pushback was immediate and came from across the board, including several staunch conservatives. The President later did not entirely back down, but tried to defend his logic by citing reports casting doubt on the integrity of mail-in voting - long a practice in the United States.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 01, 2020, with the headline Nov 3 presidential polls will be acid test of America's resilience. Subscribe