Less than six months out from the presidential contest, leading Republicans, including several of Donald J. Trump’s potential running mates, have refused to commit to accepting the results of the election, signaling that the party may again challenge the outcome if its candidate loses.
In a series of recent interviews, Republican officials and candidates have dodged the question, responded with nonanswers or offered clear falsehoods rather than commit to a notion that was once so uncontroversial that it was rarely discussed before an election.
The evasive answers show how the former president’s refusal to concede his defeat after the 2020 election has ruptured a tenet of American democracy — that candidates are bound by the outcome.
Mr. Donalds, a Florida Republican on Mr. Trump’s list of potential running mates, said in an interview on Friday that he would accept the results of the 2024 election if he thought the contest was fair.
“As long as localities actually follow election laws passed by the legislature, yeah,” Mr. Donalds said, adding that he believed that had not been the case in 2020, when he took a leading role in Congress during the attempt to overturn the presidential contest.
Other Republican candidates hoping to be Mr. Trump’s vice-presidential pick, including Mr. Donalds, have expressed similar sentiments about whether they would certify an election they saw as problematic, but the question is likely moot.
The original article contains 1,173 words, the summary contains 230 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Less than six months out from the presidential contest, leading Republicans, including several of Donald J. Trump’s potential running mates, have refused to commit to accepting the results of the election, signaling that the party may again challenge the outcome if its candidate loses.
In a series of recent interviews, Republican officials and candidates have dodged the question, responded with nonanswers or offered clear falsehoods rather than commit to a notion that was once so uncontroversial that it was rarely discussed before an election.
The evasive answers show how the former president’s refusal to concede his defeat after the 2020 election has ruptured a tenet of American democracy — that candidates are bound by the outcome.
Mr. Donalds, a Florida Republican on Mr. Trump’s list of potential running mates, said in an interview on Friday that he would accept the results of the 2024 election if he thought the contest was fair.
“As long as localities actually follow election laws passed by the legislature, yeah,” Mr. Donalds said, adding that he believed that had not been the case in 2020, when he took a leading role in Congress during the attempt to overturn the presidential contest.
Other Republican candidates hoping to be Mr. Trump’s vice-presidential pick, including Mr. Donalds, have expressed similar sentiments about whether they would certify an election they saw as problematic, but the question is likely moot.
The original article contains 1,173 words, the summary contains 230 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!