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| Donald Trump Says He Will Accept Election Outcome (‘if I Win’) | Donald Trump Says He Will Accept Election Outcome (‘if I Win’) |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Donald J. Trump insisted on Thursday that he would not cede the right to contest the outcome of the presidential election, even as Democrats and Republicans expressed concern that his position threatened to upend America’s tradition of peaceful power transfers. But in a small gesture of civility, he suggested that he would not dispute the result if the outcome of the race is clear. | Donald J. Trump insisted on Thursday that he would not cede the right to contest the outcome of the presidential election, even as Democrats and Republicans expressed concern that his position threatened to upend America’s tradition of peaceful power transfers. But in a small gesture of civility, he suggested that he would not dispute the result if the outcome of the race is clear. |
| Mr. Trump’s reluctance to pledge absolutely that he would honor the election outcome follows a rocky performance in the third and last presidential debate and comes as the candidates set off for the frenzied final stretch of campaigning ahead of the Nov. 8 election. On Thursday, Mr. Trump continued to rally his supporters with conspiracy theories about how the race was rigged against him, but he did make clear that there was one result that he would not challenge under any circumstance. | Mr. Trump’s reluctance to pledge absolutely that he would honor the election outcome follows a rocky performance in the third and last presidential debate and comes as the candidates set off for the frenzied final stretch of campaigning ahead of the Nov. 8 election. On Thursday, Mr. Trump continued to rally his supporters with conspiracy theories about how the race was rigged against him, but he did make clear that there was one result that he would not challenge under any circumstance. |
| “I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election — if I win,” Mr. Trump said to cheers at a rally in Delaware, Ohio. | “I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election — if I win,” Mr. Trump said to cheers at a rally in Delaware, Ohio. |
| Saying that George W. Bush might have lost the 2000 election to Al Gore if he had made a pre-election pledge not to challenge results, Mr. Trump said he would not take that option off the table. He did, however, try to ease concerns that he was planning to throw the country into postelection turmoil. | Saying that George W. Bush might have lost the 2000 election to Al Gore if he had made a pre-election pledge not to challenge results, Mr. Trump said he would not take that option off the table. He did, however, try to ease concerns that he was planning to throw the country into postelection turmoil. |
| “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,” Mr. Trump, appearing to accept the possibility of defeat, said. “I will follow and abide by all the rules and traditions of all of the many candidates who came before me, always.” | “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,” Mr. Trump, appearing to accept the possibility of defeat, said. “I will follow and abide by all the rules and traditions of all of the many candidates who came before me, always.” |
| He added, “Bottom line, we’re going to win.” | He added, “Bottom line, we’re going to win.” |
| Polls show Mr. Trump trailing Hillary Clinton in many crucial battleground states and facing close races in states that usually back Republicans, increasing the possibility that he could lose the election by a big margin in the Electoral College. Since contested election results must happen on a state-by-state basis, a stinging defeat could render Mr. Trump’s threats to dispute the results a moot point. | Polls show Mr. Trump trailing Hillary Clinton in many crucial battleground states and facing close races in states that usually back Republicans, increasing the possibility that he could lose the election by a big margin in the Electoral College. Since contested election results must happen on a state-by-state basis, a stinging defeat could render Mr. Trump’s threats to dispute the results a moot point. |
| To emphasize that point, the Clinton campaign initiated a new fund-raising pitch imploring supporters to help run up the score. | To emphasize that point, the Clinton campaign initiated a new fund-raising pitch imploring supporters to help run up the score. |
| “We can’t just beat this guy,” Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Clinton, wrote to potential donors. “We’ve got to beat him so definitively that Hillary’s victory is undeniable.” | “We can’t just beat this guy,” Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Clinton, wrote to potential donors. “We’ve got to beat him so definitively that Hillary’s victory is undeniable.” |
| Mrs. Clinton’s running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, said he hoped voters would give the Democratic ticket “a mandate” in the election so that Mr. Trump could not cast doubt on the outcome. | Mrs. Clinton’s running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, said he hoped voters would give the Democratic ticket “a mandate” in the election so that Mr. Trump could not cast doubt on the outcome. |
| “Donald is still going to whine if he loses, but if the mandate is clear, I don’t think many people will follow him,” he said on CNN, adding: “We’re confident in the American public.” | “Donald is still going to whine if he loses, but if the mandate is clear, I don’t think many people will follow him,” he said on CNN, adding: “We’re confident in the American public.” |
| Democrats seized on Mr. Trump’s comments Thursday as evidence that he is not fit to be president. | Democrats seized on Mr. Trump’s comments Thursday as evidence that he is not fit to be president. |
| President Obama, speaking at a rally in Miami, skewered Mr. Trump for complaining of a rigged system and rejected the notion that an election in a country as large as the United States could be manipulated. He said that Mr. Trump was weakening the country by casting doubts about the validity of the election. | President Obama, speaking at a rally in Miami, skewered Mr. Trump for complaining of a rigged system and rejected the notion that an election in a country as large as the United States could be manipulated. He said that Mr. Trump was weakening the country by casting doubts about the validity of the election. |
| “When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people’s minds about our elections, that undermines our democracy,” Mr. Obama said. “You’re doing the work of our adversaries for them.” | “When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people’s minds about our elections, that undermines our democracy,” Mr. Obama said. “You’re doing the work of our adversaries for them.” |
| Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kaine both said Mr. Trump’s defiant comments were far beyond the political mainstream. Mrs. Clinton, who called the remarks “horrifying” during Wednesday night’s debate, repeated that criticism on board her campaign plane in Las Vegas, and said Mr. Trump was bucking centuries of American political decorum. | Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kaine both said Mr. Trump’s defiant comments were far beyond the political mainstream. Mrs. Clinton, who called the remarks “horrifying” during Wednesday night’s debate, repeated that criticism on board her campaign plane in Las Vegas, and said Mr. Trump was bucking centuries of American political decorum. |
| “We are a country based on laws, and we’ve had hot, contested elections going back to the very beginning,” Mrs. Clinton said. “But one of our hallmarks has always been that we accept the outcomes of our election.” | “We are a country based on laws, and we’ve had hot, contested elections going back to the very beginning,” Mrs. Clinton said. “But one of our hallmarks has always been that we accept the outcomes of our election.” |
| Mr. Kaine went further in a series of television interviews Thursday, saying Mr. Trump was trying to take down a “central pillar” of the political system because he is on track for defeat. | Mr. Kaine went further in a series of television interviews Thursday, saying Mr. Trump was trying to take down a “central pillar” of the political system because he is on track for defeat. |
| The uproar over Mr. Trump’s potential unwillingness to abide by the results of the election threatens to further unravel a candidacy already in sharp decline. Mr. Trump has fallen well behind Mrs. Clinton in the polls after her three strong debate performances, and as Mr. Trump has faced escalating accusations that he sexually assaulted women. | The uproar over Mr. Trump’s potential unwillingness to abide by the results of the election threatens to further unravel a candidacy already in sharp decline. Mr. Trump has fallen well behind Mrs. Clinton in the polls after her three strong debate performances, and as Mr. Trump has faced escalating accusations that he sexually assaulted women. |
| A new accuser came forward on Thursday and described a 1998 encounter in which Mr. Trump grabbed her arm and touched her breast after making coarse remarks about her appearance to his male friends. The woman, Karena Virginia, was the 10th to accuse Mr. Trump of inappropriate sexual advances since the release of a tape on which he boasted of such behavior. | A new accuser came forward on Thursday and described a 1998 encounter in which Mr. Trump grabbed her arm and touched her breast after making coarse remarks about her appearance to his male friends. The woman, Karena Virginia, was the 10th to accuse Mr. Trump of inappropriate sexual advances since the release of a tape on which he boasted of such behavior. |
| With many Republicans having abandoned his campaign, Mr. Trump has spent most of the last week railing against what he has called a rigged election. He has said, without evidence, that there could be widespread fraud at the polls, including by undocumented immigrants, and claimed there is a conspiracy among Mrs. Clinton, international corporations and the news media to block his candidacy. | With many Republicans having abandoned his campaign, Mr. Trump has spent most of the last week railing against what he has called a rigged election. He has said, without evidence, that there could be widespread fraud at the polls, including by undocumented immigrants, and claimed there is a conspiracy among Mrs. Clinton, international corporations and the news media to block his candidacy. |
| After Wednesday night’s debate, several Republican members of Congress stepped forward to chastise Mr. Trump, including Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said on social media that Mr. Trump was “doing the party and country a great disservice” by attacking the election’s integrity. | After Wednesday night’s debate, several Republican members of Congress stepped forward to chastise Mr. Trump, including Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said on social media that Mr. Trump was “doing the party and country a great disservice” by attacking the election’s integrity. |
| Senators John McCain, Ben Sasse and Jeff Flake, all Republicans who have been critical of Mr. Trump, chided him on Thursday for undermining America’s system of self-government. | |
| But Mr. Trump may be unlikely to bow to the backlash. He already effectively overruled his advisers by saying on the debate stage that he would leave the country in suspense as to how he would handle defeat. | But Mr. Trump may be unlikely to bow to the backlash. He already effectively overruled his advisers by saying on the debate stage that he would leave the country in suspense as to how he would handle defeat. |
| Some supporters of Mr. Trump, such as the conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, sympathized with his cause, arguing that he would be conceding defeat and disappointing his supporters if he said that he was prepared to lose. However, even Mr. Limbaugh expressed dismay on Thursday at Mr. Trump’s uneven debate performance. | Some supporters of Mr. Trump, such as the conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, sympathized with his cause, arguing that he would be conceding defeat and disappointing his supporters if he said that he was prepared to lose. However, even Mr. Limbaugh expressed dismay on Thursday at Mr. Trump’s uneven debate performance. |
| “His political instincts just are not there,” Mr. Limbaugh said. “It’s not that he blew it, it’s that, man, it could have been so much better.” | “His political instincts just are not there,” Mr. Limbaugh said. “It’s not that he blew it, it’s that, man, it could have been so much better.” |
| Mr. Trump did try out a new line of attack against Mrs. Clinton on Thursday, saying that she acted unethically by allowing Donna Brazile, the interim Democratic National Committee chairwoman, to tip her off to questions that she would face at a Democratic town hall event. The suggestion of such collusion was revealed in hacked emails released by WikiLeaks, and Mr. Trump called it “cheating at the highest level.” | Mr. Trump did try out a new line of attack against Mrs. Clinton on Thursday, saying that she acted unethically by allowing Donna Brazile, the interim Democratic National Committee chairwoman, to tip her off to questions that she would face at a Democratic town hall event. The suggestion of such collusion was revealed in hacked emails released by WikiLeaks, and Mr. Trump called it “cheating at the highest level.” |
| “Why shouldn’t Hillary Clinton resign from the race?” Mr. Trump wondered. “She’s a very dishonest person.” | “Why shouldn’t Hillary Clinton resign from the race?” Mr. Trump wondered. “She’s a very dishonest person.” |