Branstad predicts no post-election violence

By DOUGLAS BURNS
d.burns@carrollspaper.com

With GOP White House candidate Donald Trump roiling the electorate with charges of a “rigged election,” some of his staunchest supporters have threatened to dismiss voting results should Hillary Clinton prevail.

Trump advocates nationally — and in Newton, Iowa — have gone so far as to threaten rebellion or revolution or other forms of resistance to an election they believe could be unfairly decided Nov. 8 in favor of Clinton, the Democratic nominee.

Iowa State University political science professor Steffen Schmidt says “by most accounts” there will be violence in the nation following the election.

In an interview with this newspaper Tuesday, Gov. Terry Branstad said he doesn’t expect protests or anger to boil over into violence in Iowa. The newspaper asked the governor if he has held any planning sessions or discussions with the Iowa National Guard or law enforcement officials to prepare for any potential post-election civil unrest in the Hawkeye State.

“I don’t foresee a problem there,” Branstad said. “I think Iowans respect the process that we have. I’ve been through a lot of elections. Sometimes people are disappointed.”

One of the biggest concerns among voters, Branstad said, is with the national media, and possible “collusion” between certain newspapers and television organizations and the Clinton campaign.

“I understand why they feel that way,” he said. “But when it comes to the actual process, although we have a lot of people now voting early and all of that, I think our auditors and secretary of state are doing their level best.”

Branstad, whose son Eric is the Iowa director for the Trump campaign, cited The New York Times, Washington Post and national TV networks as practicing biased journalism by “focusing more on Trump” and “his faults.”

But the governor separated Iowa newspapers from his criticism, saying he views the 283 mostly weekly and small daily newspapers differently.

“I love the local newspapers, you know that,” Branstad said.

Not all journalists are the same, he said.

“We’ve got to be careful not to use a broad brush,” Branstad said.

Overall, Iowa has a tradition and history of fair elections, he said, adding that no process is foolproof.

“I do know there are efforts to cheat,” Branstad said.

Those efforts, Trump contends, are destroying the integrity of the presidential election.

“Remember, we are competing in a rigged election,” Trump said at a Wisconsin rally Monday night. “They even want to try and rig the election at the polling booths, where so many cities are corrupt and voter fraud is all too common.”