Letters to the Editor: No, the Democrats haven't been trying to overturn the 2016 election

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·1 min read
President-elect Donald Trump, joined on stage by running mate Mike Pence, speaks to supporters at the Election Night Party at the Hilton Midtown Hotel in New York City on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. (J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday/TNS) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, TCN - OUTS **
Donald Trump, the new president-elect, is joined on stage by his running mate Mike Pence on election night, Nov. 9, 2016. (J. Conrad Williams Jr. / TNS)

To the editor: A letter writer criticized a Times editorial on President Trump's attempts to undermine the election because it failed to mention Democrats' attempts to set aside the 2016 election. The letter writer also criticized the left for never accepting Trump's 2016 victory.

I'm not sure to what he was referring. Trump's opponent conceded, the president was duly sworn in, and he has enjoyed all the powers of the presidency ever since.

Perhaps the writer was referring to impeachment. That's a constitutionally prescribed process that would have required 20 Republican senators to vote with the Democrats to have Trump removed.

And even if that had happened, it wouldn't have resulted in overturning the election, because Hillary Clinton would not have become president. Vice President Mike Pence would have succeeded Trump and would probably be running for president right now.

Ironically, if Trump loses in a landslide on Nov. 3, the GOP might wish that 20 of its senators had voted differently.

Jeff Vaughn, Encino

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.