'It'll Be Fixed!': Trump Tells Supporters No Need to Vote in the Future
Republican nominee Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a far-right Christian rally in south Florida on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
The Republican nominee's remarks, at a Christian rally in Florida on Friday night, drew scrutiny from critics who view him as a threat to democracy.
Republican nominee Donald Trump on Friday night told rally-goers at a far-right Christian event in West Palm Beach, Florida that they needed to vote "just this time" and wouldn't need to do so after four more years, raising concern from critics about his commitment to democracy.
"Christians, get out and vote!" the former president told attendees of the event, hosted by the far-right youth advocacy group Turning Point Action. "Just this time. You won’t have to do it any more, four more years, you know what? It'll be fixed! It'll be fine. You won't have to vote any more, my beautiful Christians."
"Get out–you gotta get out and vote," he added. "In four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote."
Trump's words left some ambiguity as to his intentions, but the implication that further elections wouldn't be necessary once he took office raised alarms, especially given his history of pro-authoritarian remarks and his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost.
"When we say Trump is a threat to democracy, this is exactly what we’re talking about," Caty Payette, communications director for Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), wrote on social media.
Katie Phang, an MSNBC host, interpreted Trump's remarks to mean that he would try to remain in power indefinitely, if reelected.
"In other words, Trump won’t ever leave the White House if he gets reelected," she wrote on social media.
Liberal commentator Keith Olbermann read Trump's comments the same way, writing: "Oh. Trump just cancelled the 2028 election."
Though Trump's Friday remarks received attention on social media, they were not initially well covered by major U.S. news media outlets. The Guardian, a U.K.-based newspaper with a large U.S. presence, did cover the story, drawing praise from social media users, several of whom called forThe New York Times and The Washington Post to cover the story. The Timesobliged late Saturday morning.
If Trump's remarks didn't dominate the U.S. media cycle, it may be because they weren't taken seriously. But experts on authoritarianism warn against such complacency.