Trump could declare martial law as a way of suppressing voter turnout: Analyst

US President Donald Trump could declare martial law as a way of suppressing voter turnout on the eve of the November presidential election, according to Myles Hoenig, an American political analyst and activist. 

More Americans view negatively the direction of their country than at any point during Republican Donald Trump's tenure as president, a new poll has shown.

According to the poll from the Associated Press and the NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, almost eight in 10 Americans believe the country is going in the wrong direction as their nation is confronted with a number of problems, including the coronavirus pandemic, anti-racism protests, and a venomous presidential election.

Only 38 percent of those surveyed see the national economy in a positive light, down nearly half from 67 percent in January, before the pandemic was known to have struck the country.

The Trump administration has been criticized for its handling of the disease and according to the poll, only 32 percent approve of his response.

“A lot of factors indicate the strength of a presidential campaign and how the American people feel the government is doing its job or in what direction the country is going is one of the most critical. That the latest polls show that Trump’s approval rating is dropping and the view by nearly 80% of those polled feel the US is going in the wrong direction bodes poorly for the re-election of an incumbent president,” Hoenig, a former Green Party candidate for Congress, told Press TV on Monday.  

“Trump’s ignoring the pandemic problem along with his ignorance of basic science. The economy is in free fall as millions are bound to lose their unemployment insurance. Where most of the industrial world protects its workers and citizens from such calamities, the US Congress and President is more focused on protecting the wealthiest through their support of Wall Street,” he stated.

“Where many countries provide a stable income for all while the pandemic rages throughout their country, the US has given many, not all, wage workers a measly $1200  to hold them over until the next stimulus package, whenever and if ever it happens,” he said.  

“On top of this, President Trump’s unleashing of right wing goon squads, whether they be unidentified federal agents or mercenaries belonging to Erik Prince, whose private army is known for its rampant murders of Iraqi citizens, is a ploy to show he’s a ‘law and order’ president. That, too, is backfiring on his popularity as only his most die-hard supporters support this. Ironic that so many of them see wearing masks is ‘tyranny’ but unleashing a private army on the streets to abduct, shoot at, kill and maim innocent protesters exercising their Constitutional rights is nothing to be bothered about,” he added.

“There are a few ways that this can work in Trump’s favor. All of this can be a rallying cry to his remaining supporters. He can, and is expected among many, to declare martial law as a way of suppressing voter turnout. With his supporters not being affected as much by this, and approving of it, they will likely turn out in large numbers to help him win certain states, but probably states he’s already expected to win under normal circumstances. He can withhold the election on the basis of martial law, but that would be contested in the courts. He can refuse to accept the outcome of the election if he were to lose, especially if it’s a humiliating loss,” he pointed out.

“Not since the Civil War has the election of a president been so traumatic for the nation with such dire consequences. The cliché that this is the most important election in our lifetime may actually be true this time,” the analyst concluded.  

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