There’s nothing worse ― or less presidential ― than a sore loser.
However, during Wednesday’s presidential debate, republican nominee Donald Trump refused to commit to respecting the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
“I will look at it at the time,” Trump told moderator Chris Wallace when asked whether he would accept the results. “What I have seen is so bad. First of all, the media is so dishonest and so corrupt, and the pile-on is so amazing.”
When pressed, Trump responded, “I’ll keep you in suspense.”
His answer horrified many Americans, including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the running mate of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Many others reacted on Twitter, saying Trump’s response reflected a lack of respect for democracy and everything America is built upon.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Trump “is doing the party and country a great disservice by continuing to suggest the outcome of this election is out of his hands and ‘rigged’ against him.”
“If he loses,” Graham wrote, “it will not be because the system is ‘rigged’ but because he failed as a candidate.”
Trump has made many recent claims about the potential for a “rigged” election. Despite no evidence to support his claims, he continues to accuse the media of colluding against him.
Trump’s running mate Mike Pence, however, seemed to be on a different page. “I’ve said before that we’ll certainly accept the outcome of this election,” he said on CNN earlier on Wednesday. The RNC also claimed on Wednesday that Trump would accept the results of the Nov. 8 election.
Below, read some of the reactions from Americans as they watched the debate in disbelief and disappointment.
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.
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