‘There could be chaos’: A congressman anxiously admits greatest fears over potentially deranged Donald Trump loss
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said what many people are already thinking. As reported by The Huffington Post following an interview on NewsNation’s Dan Abrams Live, the congressman expressed concerns about Donald Trump’s response to a possible defeat. He also forewarned about potential violence in the days following the 2024 presidential election.
Cohen painted an ugly picture of post-election scenarios, with the staunch belief that Vice President Kamala Harris will secure both the popular and electoral votes. However, he suggested that Trump’s reaction could mirror his 2020 response, which amounted to insurrection.
“Trump won’t stop at anything, and we’ll be in courts, and we’ll be in litigation,” Cohen said, adding Trump would likely urge supporters to “go to the Capitol if you want to have a country and fight like hell.”
The Tennessee congressman warned that “there may be blood,” expressing particular concern about the period between the Electoral College count and inauguration during which the more militant portion of Trump’s base may wreak havoc. Cohen revealed plans to erect “sturdy fences” before Congress returns next week, anticipating potential unrest.
“There could be behavior that’s untoward and violent anytime if Trump doesn’t win,” Cohen said. “There could be chaos.”
Cohen’s warnings line up with Trump’s campaign rhetoric, which has the familiar ring of someone absorbed in a profound concern for his future and seeking scapegoats for his failure. With the likelihood that he’s already receiving less than favorable updates—probably every day at this point—the former president has already laid the groundwork to contest unfavorable results, making repeated, nonsensical claims about highly improbable election fraud in crucial battleground states.
Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s do-boys, said Trump should claim an immediate win, no matter what happens. “He should stand up and say, ‘Hey, I’ve won this,'” Bannon told The New York Times on Tuesday after being released from a federal prison.
Democrats have prepared a rapid-response strategy should a reckless Trump prematurely declare victory, as he did in 2020. Party officials plan to flood media channels with calls for patience in vote counting—which could go on for days if the race is as close as the polls claim. If the race winds up being a decisive win for Harris, greater than Biden’s win in 2020, then much of this could be much ado about nothing, as Trump will not have much to stand on.
“We are sadly ready if he [claims victory] and if we know that he is actually manipulating the press and attempting to manipulate the consensus of the American people … we are prepared to respond,” Harris said Wednesday in an interview with ABC.
Cohen’s concerns reflect anxieties about election integrity and potential civil unrest, especially at the U.S. Capitol and during the Electoral College process. Many Trump voters could act feeling they have next to nothing to lose. “Trump will read it and won’t care about the results,” Cohen concluded.
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