The campaign of Donald Trump's opponent joined the criticism of his promise to a Christian audience that implied there'd be no more presidential elections if he wins in November. "Christians, get out and vote, just this time," the Republican nominee said at the Believers Summit in Florida on Friday, per the Washington Post. "You won't have to do it anymore. … In four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote." The comment quickly appeared across social media, with some posters calling it evidence of authoritarian, antidemocratic views, the New York Times reports.
That was "a vow to end democracy," a spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign said. Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman posted on X that "the only way 'you won't have to vote anymore' is if Donald Trump becomes a dictator." Rep. Adam Schiff posted a clip of the speech and called for the defeat of authoritarianism. "Here Trump helpfully reminds us that the alternative is never having the chance to vote again," he posted. Actress Morgan Fairchild, per the Guardian, posted, "But … what if I want to vote again?"
Andrew Seidel , a constitutional and civil rights attorney, wrote: "This is not subtle Christian nationalism. He's talking about ending our democracy and installing a Christian nation." Trump's campaign issued a statement saying the nominee "was talking about uniting this country and bringing prosperity to every American, as opposed to the divisive political environment that has sowed so much division and even resulted in an assassination attempt." David Lane, an organizer of Christian pastors, suggested Trump got carried away in trying to encourage people at the conference to vote.
- Support for Harris: Former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday endorsed Harris, praising her record on climate issues that he said includes victories over oil companies and a tie-breaking Senate vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. "That's the kind of climate champion we need in the White House," Gore said in a statement, per CNN. Also on Sunday, Harris' campaign reported a $200 million haul.
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