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An adviser to Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner fired back at Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, accusing her of mischaracterizing the White House aide’s comments about the Nov. 3 election date amid coronavirus.
“I can’t believe I have to write this sentence, but the president’s son-in-law doesn’t get to decide when the election is,” Clinton wrote on Twitter, linking a New York Times article.
White House adviser Avi Berkowitz — who works with Kushner — responded, “He literally said: ‘It’s not my decision to make.'”
When asked if there was a chance the presidential election could be delayed past Nov. 3 due to the pandemic, Kushner told Time magazine that wasn’t his decision.
“I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that’s the plan,” he said.
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“Hopefully by the time we get to September, October, November, we’ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we’re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again,” Kushner continued, not included in the Times’ reporting.
Still, others called out Kushner’s comment.
“Kushner’s statement reveals amazing ignorance of the Constitution and law,” “Never Trump” Republican Bill Kristol wrote on Twitter. “It reveals startling arrogance in taking for granted he gets to have some say about when the election is held. It also reveals an utter lack of understanding of his very subordinate role in our democracy.”
On Tuesday night, Kushner sought to clarify his earlier comments.
“I have not been involved in, nor am I aware of, any discussions about trying to change the date of the presidential election,” he said, according to the Times. A White House official said Kushner was fully aware that the date was set by federal law.
Neither a White House official nor the president has the power to postpone Election Day, which is statutorily set as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Joe Biden gave voice to Democratic concerns that the president might try to delay the election due to coronavirus.
“Mark my words, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow — come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” the former vice president said.
Last month, Trump assured reporters the election would go on as scheduled. “The general election will happen on Nov. 3,” Trump said when asked about Biden’s comment.
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He also insisted that the general election should be based on in-person voting.
“I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting,” the president said. “It should be, you go to a booth and you proudly display yourself.”
