John Delaney: Talk of abolishing Electoral College ‘a waste of time’

Former Rep. John Delaney, a 2020 presidential hopeful, said Thursday that discussing the abolishment of the Electoral College is “a waste of time.”

“We all know it is never going to happen. … It’s a waste of time to talk about this, right?” the Maryland Democrat said during an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” “It’s very, very hard to amend the Constitution and a small state would never agree to amend the Constitution to get rid of the Electoral College.”

Mr. Delaney said candidates should focus on issues such as reforming health care and the job market.

In an interview with CNN’s “New Day” Wednesday, he took a somewhat softer stance, saying he would lose the system if “starting from scratch,” but more pressing matters currently take priority.

Mr. Delaney diverged from many of his fellow Democratic presidential candidates who came out in recent days against the Electoral College, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

President Trump defended the Electoral College on Tuesday, arguing that it keeps major cities from overpowering less populated areas in smaller states and the Midwest.

“I used to like the idea of the Popular Vote, but now realize the Electoral College is far better for the U.S.A.,” he tweeted.

Mr. Delaney also echoed the president’s concerns about China, calling the nation an economic rival of the U.S. that isn’t “playing by the rules.”

“They act like pirates,” he said. “They steal our property. They build illegal islands in the South China Sea. They are engaging in disinformation campaigns in our own country. My approach would be to get, to create more alignment with our allies and U.S. companies.”

Mr. Delaney also said he was serious about nuclear power to address the issue of climate change.

“The point is, we will not get off fossil fuels fast enough,” he said. “So what we have to do is get the carbon out of fossil fuels at a faster rate. That’s how we deal with climate change.”