WASHINGTON - Donald Trump was forced Thursday to admit he would accept “clear” results of the Nov. 8 presidential election, after coming under intense criticism when he refused to endorse the legitimacy of American elections in his third and final debate with Hillary Clinton.
“Of course, I would accept a clear election result, but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result, right?” Trump told supporters at a rally in Delaware, Ohio.
Trump claimed he was asked “an unprecedented question” Wednesday night by moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News. He also tried to reframe the actual question Wallace asked, claiming he’d been pressed to waive his “right to a legal challenge or a recount” like the one mounted by Democrat Al Gore in 2000.
“In effect, I’m being asked to waive centuries of legal precedent designed to protect the voters,” Trump said.
But Wallace did not ask Trump to waive any right to a challenge in the event the election turned out to be close. Wallace simply asked whether Trump would accept the election results, precisely because Trump has been talking for days about his belief that the election will be marred by widespread voter fraud. He has offered no evidence besides exaggerated speculation for this claim, which has been widely rejected by fact-checkers. (Reuters)