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Leadership

Donald Trump: ‘I Will Totally Accept the Results…If I Win’

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The Associated Press
The Associated Press
and
Fortune Editors
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By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
and
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
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October 20, 2016, 1:19 PM ET
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Donald Trump is mocking the criticism of his much-derided comment at the third presidential debate that he might not accept the results of the election.

Trump kicked off a rally Thursday in Delaware, Ohio, by saying that he “would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supports and to all of the people of the United States that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election.”

But he added: “If I win.”

Trump is continuing to raise concerns about the integrity of the election, despite a lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud in the country.

During the third and final debate, Donald Trump refused to say he will accept the results of next month’s election if he loses to Hillary Clinton. The Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, declared Trump’s resistance “horrifying.”

Trump had spent the days leading up to Wednesday’s presidential debate warning voters that the election would be “rigged.” Asked whether he would accept the outcome if Clinton emerges victorious, he said at the debate: “I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense.”

Some Republicans recoiled at Trump’s startling statement. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said his party’s nominee was doing the country a “great disservice” by suggesting the election is rigged and Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake called Trump’s comments “beyond the pale.”

But GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell and House GOP leader Paul Ryan, so far, have been silent, which prompted Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader of the House, to tweet out:

The silence from GOP leadership on #DonaldTrump undermining electoral process is complicity—evasion is unacceptable. https://t.co/gYHy5jcnke

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 20, 2016

Meanwhile, most polls of likely voters show that Hillary Clinton won the debate.

Fortune contributed to this report.

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