States prepare after Trump declines to commit to peaceful transfer of power if he loses election

States prepare after peaceful transfer of power is questioned

States, including Virginia, are making plans on what to do if President Trump loses the election and refuses to leave office.

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - States, including Virginia, are making plans on what to do if President Trump loses the election and refuses to leave office.

It’s after Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful – there won’t be a transfer, frankly,” Trump said Wednesday. “There will be a continuation. The ballots are out of control. You know it.”

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said what he heard was dangerous.

“In light of the president’s rhetoric and comments questioning the integrity of our electoral system and questioning whether he would accept the results if he didn’t like it, we are now having conversations about what happens if the president actually carries through with something like that,” said Herring.

He said those conversations are happening at the state level and with his fellow attorneys general around the country.

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When asked what the states could do and what power they held, Herring said this is a challenging situation because it’s unprecedented.

“We’re starting to take a look at what we would do, what legal avenues we might have,” Herring said. “But the first step is to make sure that people go vote, they do it safely and securely and have confidence that their vote is going to count. I’m going to make sure of that.”