LETTER: Donald Trump suggests he won the election before the votes are counted
President Donald Trump, in full view of all the electorate, declared himself the winner of the election late Tuesday night. He did so without even a count of the votes to support his declaration.
No one in the United States has the power to declare himself the winner of any election. The president has only the power given to him by we, the people. That is stated at the beginning of our Constitution. That is the essence of our entire democracy.
What could be a higher crime than declaring yourself the winner of a presidential election you have not won? How can anyone defend a president who tells the country to stop the election process? This man has completely violated the Constitution and should be removed from his office immediately.
In the meantime, let the counting continue. Let all results be recorded, and let any and all contentions be adjudicated. In other words, finish the election process and let the chips fall where they may.
One more note: Anyone who still supports Mr. Trump owes the people of the United States an explanation for this support. If you are not willing to openly defend our Constitution, you are not entitled to any respect from those of us who are.
