Our society and seek to influence our elections, Vladimir Putin will stop at nothing to diminish western democracies and research in china wants to take americas place on the i world stage. The greatest threat to our democracy does not come from any foreign capital but comes from our own and the greatest threat to democracy in america is President Donald Trump yesterday at a News ConferencePresident Trump refused to commit to the peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election in 41 days but let me repeat that. Yesterday at a News ConferencePresident Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election in 41 days. Quote, well, we will have to see what happens he said. Ive been complaining very strongly about the ballots and ballots are a disaster. Further, the president said get rid of the ballots and there wont be a transfer frankly and there will be a continuation. Get rid of the ballots and there wont be a transfer and there will be a continuation and all his work get rid of the ballots and just let him stay in power and whatever licit way he chooses to do so and that is what he is saying. Everywhere froms the most senior among us know the peaceful transfer of power is one of democracies core attributes. There is no democracy without. It unlike the rule of law the separation of powers, checks and balances, everything we learned that is great and noble about our system and government, President Trump has sullied, diminished now he threatens to actually dismantle. The greatest threat to american democracy right now is donald trump. The president issued similar threats in the rock to the 2016 election and is doing it again now and if i win, he says, or he proposed, the election is legitimate and argues the president but if i lose it is rigged. That is what he is saying now. Again, if i win the election legitimate but if i lose its is rigged. By the way, i may just stay in office now not count the ballots. Unbelievable. The greatest threat to american democracy right now is President Trump. Save for a few, the republican majority here in the senate practically brushes it by. They dont know the full conte context. The president says crazy things and maybe he was joking they say. And they are willing to continue ramming the Supreme Court justice through who the president said was needed quote, before the election because the election will be before the United StatesSupreme Court. Where our our republican colleagues . Democracy is at stake and every constituent from every corner of the land regardless of party or ideology should be asking republican senators to speak out and demand that donald trump not be allowed to do what he said he was going to do and say they will join all of America Andes standing in the way if he tries. The most innocent interpretation of the president s comments as he tries to get people not to vote, mail and voting is rigged and i will stay anyway he cries 12 more years they chanted at his rallies and all to a road american faith in the election and discourage americans from voting. It doesnt matter how false or how undemocratic or how many corrosive it is to our democracy president does not care, its his own ego and nothing else. The president says it and if he thanks it will help him when that is the most innocent interpretation and if you take the president at his word and he wants to throw up ballots and reviews the peaceful of power and rush through the Supreme Courtan to ensure that it could rule in his favor if the election is contested and that him is him at his word according to the new article in the atlantic magazine, summer balkans are actually considering a scheme to override the will of the voters in certain states and under this nefarious deed if the president loses his state controlled by republicans there would ignore the results and ignore what the voters asked for and send a rival electors to washington instead. Deliberately provoking a constitutional crisis. Every american should read this article and i ask unanimous consent that it be placed in the record. Without objectionje. [crowd boos] if you read the facts and if you read these facts and the story about belarus or hungary you might not bat an eye but this is america. This is america and here in america our elections are sacrosanct. The peaceful transfer of p power is our lifeblood and the rule of law and the very foundation of our society and these currents run deep in our veins and are far stronger then the flimsy authoritarianism of President Trump. President trump, you are not a dictator and america will not permit you to be one. We will not permit you to be one. This november we will have an election and the votes will be counted t and it may take a lite longer than usual because so many people will vote by mail because of covid but the votes will be counted and there are numerous lawsuits making sure it happens in those lawsuits are succeeding. D. The result of the election must be accepted in the peaceful transfer of power must follow otherwise we lose our democracy. At this perilous moment every republican in this chamber should stand up and say that a president who is not entirely sure if he will commit to a peaceful transfer of power isnt a president at all. Stand up and say he is wrong. That you dont want to live in a country where he is right. Pledged to uphold the pillars of our country and if republicans stand up and say this is wrong that may, may be able to sway this president or this followers from repeating these attacks this is something every citizen can do, particularly those that are alarmed or discouraged by what President Trump said this week vote, the president cannot deny your right to vote and the answer to these naked threats to our democracy is more democracy, vote. Dont let trump intimidate oron discourage you. Vote. Vote like our democracy is on the line because it is. Vote, vote, vote. Watch book tvs coverage of the 20th National Book festival this weekend. The Virtual Event hosted by the library of congress features online author discussions plus live call in segments and on saturday at 7 00 p. M. Eastern author gail collins with her book, no stopping us now. Right now since the 1917 there has been this transformation of the economic role in america. At 7 45 she joins us for live discussion taking your phone calls. At 8 00 p. M. Historian jon meacham with his book, his truth is marching on. Here is a man born in 1940 who repeatedly, in the american south, 50, 60 years ago acted in the tradition of essentially an early christian saint. Following by alive segment at 8 30 p. M. We take your questions. On sunday at 7 00 p. M. Eastern the book, cosmos. The first cosmos was an effort to give the broadest possible public Global Public its coordinates in space and in time. To take your live calls and treat starting at 7 30 p. M. And 8 00 p. M. We discussed the book, reagan land. I write about the corporate world savagely organizing against [inaudible] we take your live calls starting at 8 40 p. M. Watch book tvs coverage with the 20th annual National Book festival this weekend on cspan2. With the ongoing Global Pandemic and many schools shifting to Online Learning cspans student camera competition continues to provide a platform to engage in a National Conversation where middle and High School Students produce a five, six minute documentary exploring the issues they most want the president a new congress to address in 2021. [inaudible] [inaudible] when youth are given the opportunity and the skills to become informed voters and engaged citizens they help because democracy must be learned. [inaudible] this year we are working 100,000 in cash prizes including a grand prize of 5000. The deadline to submit video is generally 20, 2021. For competition rules, tips and more information on how to get started go to our website student cam. Org