Dear Prime Minister, You already have quite enough on your plate. So forgive me if I hoist a storm cone over another potential problem. I refer to the US presidential election on 3 November and the possibility of its ending in deadlock and confusion.
I was the British ambassador to Washington during the Bush/Gore election of 2000. The outcome hung in suspense for a month. Everything turned on which contestant had won more votes in Florida. In the end, the matter had to go to the US Supreme Court for a decision. I was present at the hearing. After 9/11, it was the most dramatic moment of my time in Washington.
The events of November and December 2000 were a stress test for the American constitution. Despite many alarums and excursions, due process and the rule of law prevailed in the end.
But if the worst fears of Trump’s enemies for this year’s election are realised, it will make the events of 2000 look like a storm in a tea cup.
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