While early voting is just days away for the 2024 presidential race, 黑料吃瓜网 Attorney General William Tong is preparing for the storm he expects to hit soon after Nov. 5, if former President Donald Trump loses to Vice President Kamala Harris.
鈥淚 believe that [Vice President] Kamala Harris is going to be the next president of the United States, and then I think all hell's going to break loose on November 6th,鈥� Tong said.
The state鈥檚 top attorney, a Democrat, is also the vice president of the where he collaborates with his counterparts on both sides of the aisle.
Tong spoke about the chances of legal challenges to the vote results, particularly in swing states, during an interview with 黑料吃瓜网.
鈥淚 have the highest possible level of concern. So, if there鈥檚 an 11 on the concern meter, it鈥檚 11,鈥� he said.
Tong recalls a tense moment from the 2020 presidential election, when with the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results.
鈥淭hat was a really bad moment,鈥� he said.
Preparations for a fight underway
After Trump鈥檚 loss to Joe Biden in 2020, he and his team filed dozens of in various state and federal courts to reverse the election results and keep him in power. So far in our current election cycle, Trump and his allies across the so-called swing states.
Tong indicated he and other like-minded Attorneys General across the country are ready for another post-election fight.
鈥淲e have teams of lawyers ready to go,鈥� he said, explaining that various legal teams are poised to respond quickly to any issues that arise. 鈥淥utside advocates are also ready to go, like Planned Parenthood, which has its own strategy on reproductive freedom and protecting women.鈥�
While Tong acknowledged that scenarios are being mapped out to anticipate potential challenges, he also indicated the limits of that sort of pre-planning.
鈥淵ou run simulations or you script your first 15 plays,鈥� Tong said. 鈥淏ut to quote Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the nose.鈥�
Preparing for a fight with GOP attorneys general
One of those "punches in the nose" could again come from conservative attorneys general.
On Aug. 9, to throw out a Biden administration order to promote more widespread voter registration. has prosecuted over 100 election fraud cases, and he filed a lawsuit trying to get the results of the 2020 Presidential Election thrown out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not great,鈥� Tong said.
But Tong also notes that these are colleagues he often works with on other issues.
鈥淲e do a lot of business with Texas,鈥� he said, including shared efforts on opioid litigation and investigations into social media companies.
Regarding the possibility of Republican attorneys general joining in post-election efforts to challenge results, Tong was candid.
鈥淎Gs are one of the last corners of public life in which we put our weapons down and we work together,鈥� Tong said. 鈥淏ut that doesn't mean sometimes we don't pick up those weapons and have a fight, and I expect that that's what's going to happen.鈥�
Even as he expressed concern about partisanship, Tong stressed the importance of keeping lines of communication open.
鈥淚鈥檝e got to keep, if not a front door, a back door open to my colleagues on the other side of the partisan divide,鈥� he said.
Differences between 2020 and 2024
There are significant differences in this presidential election cycle as compared to the last that could play a factor in the ultimate outcome.
First, Trump is not running as the incumbent this time. Also, to make it more difficult to influence election results. Tong pointed out two other key differences.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not in COVID,鈥� he said, explaining that many previous lawsuits centered around pandemic-era restrictions, which won鈥檛 be a factor this time.
He also believes that the public is more aware of the potential for election disputes.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 on to [Trump鈥檚] game,鈥� Tong said. 鈥淧eople in swing states in particular are ready for this fight in the way they weren鈥檛 before.鈥�
Yet, even with these changes, Tong鈥檚 concerns are heightened by what he describes as an increasingly extreme political climate.
鈥淭he insanity is even more insane,鈥� he said, referencing the former president鈥檚 rhetoric. 鈥淲hen you're that unhinged and disassociated from reality, you're capable of doing anything.鈥�
Tong added that his biggest fear is how others might respond to Trump鈥檚 words.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we saw on January 6th,鈥� Tong said. 鈥淭hey were incited to violence, and they went to it.鈥�
Relative calm in 黑料吃瓜网
Amid all of his concerns about how the national election will play out, Tong indicated it feels good not to have those concerns about elections in the state he calls home.
鈥淲e have safe elections, we have orderly elections, we have great registrars and town clerks,鈥� Tong said.
There are a few challenges here or there, but largely, Tong said, the voting process is very organized.
鈥淓lection days in 黑料吃瓜网 are super boring,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 great!鈥�
