Donald Trump confirms he'll accept the election results — if he wins


Donald Trump will "totally accept" the results of the presidential election — assuming he wins, that is.
To date, Trump has flatly refused to confirm he will concede the election if Hillary Clinton wins and has continued to stoke debunked concerns of widespread voter fraud. At the final presidential debate Wednesday, when asked point-blank if he would accept a peaceful transition of power, Trump said he'd keep Americans "in suspense, okay?" The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and many other major newspapers ran the quote as a banner headline, with The Associated Press declaring Trump is "threatening a fundamental pillar of American democracy."
Trump feigned Thursday morning as if he would clarify the whole scandal: "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to make a major announcement today," he began at a rally in Ohio. "I would like to promise and pledge to all my voters and supporters and to all of the people of the United States that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election ... if I win."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump is clearly pleased with his clever line — and maybe he'd have a right to be, if what he was saying wasn't so terrifying.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants