Donald Trump has conditionally agreed to accept the results of the upcoming election, stating that he would only do so if the election is “fair and legal, and good.”
This statement came during the first presidential debate with Joe Biden, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia.
Trump’s response was hesitant, as he dodged the question twice before finally providing a conditional answer, RT reports.
Trump’s hesitance has fueled concerns, particularly in light of his previous refusal to accept defeat in the 2020 election, which he erroneously claimed was “stolen” from him.
His continued doubts about the democratic process have raised concerns about his willingness to respect the democratic will of the American people and sparked fears of potential destabilisation.
“I would have much rather accepted these (results), but the fraud and everything else was ridiculous,” Trump said.
“It would be much easier for me to do that than running again. I wasn’t really going to run until I saw the horrible job he did. He’s destroying the country,” the presumptive Republican nominee said of Biden.
Trump claimed he “would be very happy to be someplace else – in a nice location,” instead of having to face indictments and other “opponent stuff” during the campaign.
“It’s the only way he (Biden) thinks he can win, but unfortunately it’s driven up my numbers,” Trump added, referring to polls which show him leading Biden.
According to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, Donald Trump has surged ahead of Joe Biden in popularity, with 48% of respondents approving of Trump compared to Biden’s 44%.
In a sharp rebuke, Biden slammed Trump for his actions following the 2020 election, pointing out that Trump’s numerous legal challenges were universally rejected by courts across the country, stating, “When you lost the first time, you appealed and appealed to courts all across the country. Not one single court in America said any of your claims had any merit.”
Biden cast doubt on Trump’s willingness to concede if he loses the 2024 election, suggesting that Trump’s inability to accept defeat is a deep-seated issue.
“You can’t stand the loss. Something snapped in you when you lost the last time,” Biden said.
In a surprising twist, a CNN Flash Poll revealed that 67% of registered voters who watched the debate believed Trump outperformed Biden in their initial face-off, despite Biden’s criticisms of Trump’s election denial and concerns about his democratic commitments.
This polling result suggests a disconnect between voters’ perceptions of the debate and the broader concerns about Trump’s stance on the democratic process.