As the radicalization of Republican politics intensifies, it’s no longer considered outlandish to ask GOP candidates whether they’ll accept voters’ judgment — and it’s no longer surprising when they fail to say, “Yes.” - MaddowBlog
Throughout 2020, Donald Trump made not-so-subtle hints about rejecting the election results, but it was exactly two years ago this week when the then-president broke new ground.
It was as jarring as it was unprecedented: Never before had an American president balked at the idea of a peaceful transfer of power, which has always been a foundational principle of our political system. It also proved to be an early warning of things to come: Two months after making the comments, Trump lost and then ensured there was no peaceful transition.
In a survey by The Washington Post of 19 of the most closely watched statewide races in the country, the contrast between Republican and Democratic candidates was stark. While seven GOP nominees committed to accepting the outcomes in their contests, 12 either refused to commit or declined to respond. On the Democratic side, 18 said they would accept the outcome and one did not respond to The Post’s survey.