Jul 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump declines to say he'll accept results of election: "I have to see"

Rashaan Ayesh

President Trump refused to say on "Fox News Sunday" whether he would accept the results of November's election if he loses to Joe Biden, telling host Chris Wallace: "I have to see. I'm not just going to say yes. I'm not going to say no."

Why it matters: Trump gave a similar answer in 2016 when he was running against Hillary Clinton, prompting concerns there might not be a peaceful transition to power. At that time, however, Trump was not the incumbent.

Trump said his willingness to concede will depend on mail-in voting, which he said he thinks is going to "rig the election" — a claim he has previously made without factual evidence.

What he's saying: "I'm not a good loser. I don't like to lose. I don't lose too often. ... Look, Hillary Clinton asked me the same thing. ... You know what, she's the one who never accepted the loss."

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Trump declines to say he'll accept results of election: "I have to see"

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