Trump has declared war on elections in the name of protecting them | Austin Sarat

The brief

On Thursday night, Donald Trump did it again, trashing another American tradition with his primetime address from the White House’s East Room about election integrity. Other presidents have used such speeches in times of national emergency, to announce major new policies designed to improve Americans’ lives or to honor American traditions. Not Trump. His speech broke the mold. It was a declaration of war on US elections, delivered in Orwellian fashion in the name of protecting them. It offered his audience a chance to witness his obsession with the 2020 presidential election on full display, this time seemingly blessed by the trappings of America’s highest office. Trump’s White House address…