'Straight out of the authoritarian playbook': Experts reject Trump’s 'buffoonish' call to ‘delay the election’

President Donald Trump’s Thursday morning tweet calling for a delay in the November 2020 presidential election drew immediate concern and outrage from leading experts.

“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” the president tweeted, after railing against the proven safe practice. “It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”

Legally, experts say, Trump has no authority to delay an election. Here’s Quinta Jurecic, the managing editor of Lawfare:

But that doesn’t mean he won’t try.

Here’s Matthew Miller, an MSNBC Justice & Security Analyst, formerly the DOJ spokesperson:

David Rothkopf, professor of international relations and visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, calls it “Trump’s most dangerous Tweet ever,” and an “authoritarian power grab.”

White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times:

Legal expert on voting rights:

CNN White House Correspondent:

Former head of USDOJ Civil Rights Division:

Former Director of the Office of Government Ethics:

Dartmouth Political Science Professor:

ABC News Reporter/Producer: