Day before Trump refused to commit to peaceful transition, Aaron Sorkin described how he would write election night
A day before President Trump ignited controversy by refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, Aaron Sorkin appeared to predict a similar election night outcome.
The “West Wing” creator was asked Tuesday during a virtual chat as part of the San Sebastian Festival how he would write the way the White House race ends on Nov. 3.
“If I was able to romanticize the whole thing, here’s what would happen: On election night, Donald Trump would do what we all assume he’s going to do, which is not concede defeat, claim that the election was rigged, claim that the Democrats cheated, all of that,” Sorkin said. “The nightmare scenario that’s never happened in this country — we’re very proud of our peaceful transfers of power that have been going on for 240 years,” he added.
“However, for the first time since the man was sworn in, Republicans, his enablers, his apologists, march up to the White House and say, ‘Donald, it’s time to go. You will not ruin this country. You will not start a civil war,’ ” the screenwriter continued.
“I would write an ending where everyone does the right thing,” explained Sorkin, 59.
Sorkin’s seemingly prescient remarks came just a day before Trump was asked at a White House briefing on Wednesday if he would vow to make sure there is a peaceful transition of power should he lose the election.
“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know, but I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump told reporters.
On Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution reaffirming its support for a peaceful transition of power. The resolution, offered by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), passed by unanimous consent.
In his comments earlier in the week, Sorkin said, “I don’t in a million years expect Donald Trump will ever do the right thing, except by accident.”
“He’s irredeemable,” Sorkin concluded, “the rest of us aren’t.”