LAS VEGAS—Republican Donald Trump on Wednesday said he might reject the outcome of the US presidential election on Nov. 8 should he lose, an unprecedented challenge to a cornerstone of American democracy.
During the last of three debates against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump was asked by Chris Wallace, moderator of Fox News, whether this meant the New York businessman would not commit to a peaceful transition of power.
“What I’m saying is that I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense. Ok?” Trump replied.
Clinton, the former US secretary of state, said Trump’s comment was “horrifying.”
“That is not the way our democracy works,” she said. “We’ve been around for 240 years. We’ve had free and fair elections. We’ve accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them. And that is what must be expected of anyone standing on a debate stage during a general election.”
Clinton wins, 52-39
A CNN snap poll said 52 percent thought Clinton won the debate while 39 percent said Trump was the victor.
Trump, 70, entered the debate with Clinton, 68, hoping to reverse opinion polls tilting away from him.
He has raised concerns by claiming the election will be rigged against him, and he has urged supporters to patrol polling places in inner cities to prevent voter fraud.
He dodged twice
During the debate, Wallace asked Trump if he would absolutely accept the results of this presidential election.
The Republican candidate dodged—twice. “I will look at it at the time,” Trump bobbed.
Wallace pressed the question again. “I will tell you at the time,” Trump weaved. “I’ll keep you in suspense.”
The stunner came an hour into the debate when Trump, speaking to tens of millions of watching American voters, declined to endorse the legitimacy of the coming election results.
“If you look at your voter rolls, you will see millions of people … that are registered to vote that shouldn’t be registered to vote,” Trump said.
He said Clinton shouldn’t even be allowed to run for president, citing the “rigged” results of an FBI inquiry into her use of a private e-mail setup.
“She’s guilty of a very, very serious crime,” Trump said.
For the record: There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in US elections. And the FBI concluded that while Clinton had handled classified material in her e-mails in a reckless manner, there was nothing to prosecute.
Clinton was quick to call out Trump. She called his response “horrifying.” —Wire reports