In the days leading up to the 2016 election, then-President Barack Obama took action to ensure the election results were validated in the event of a challenge from President Donald Trump.
According to New York Magazine, Obama worked with former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, along with several other Republican and Democratic leaders, to create a plan to guarantee the election’s legitimacy.
The initiative was made with the understanding that Trump would challenge the results if he lost the election, based on his campaign rhetoric and comments that the election was “rigged” and wouldn’t accept the results if he lost.
Former Obama aide Ben Rhodes told the magazine that the administration was worried about Trump’s potential reaction if Hillary Clinton was declared the winner.
“It wasn’t a hypothetical,” he said. “Trump was already saying it on the campaign trail.”
Jen Psaki, Obama’s communications director, said that the plan was part of regular assessments occurring with the 2016 election outcomes in mind. However, she noted that it was necessary due to President Obama’s lack of popularity among some of the population and that his words alone would not guarantee the election’s legitimacy.
“I don’t think there is any indication to suggest that if that’s where things headed, [Trump] would accept it,” Psaki stated. “He’s laying the groundwork for delegitimizing the process now — questioning our institutions, attacking their leadership. This is all fodder for his supporters to work with in the event that things go down a dark path for him.”
The plan was not put into effect after President Trump won the election. However, its existence demonstrates the seriousness of potential election unrest and the need for proper checks and balances to maintain the legitimacy of elections.