[U.S. Choice 2024], Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reiterated on election day, the 5th (local time), that he would concede if he loses, “if it’s a fair election.” This has been interpreted as leaving open the possibility of not accepting the election results this year, similar to his refusal to accept the 2020 election outcome.
Trump, wearing a red hat with the slogan “Make America Great Again” from his campaign, stated this after voting with Melania Trump at the Morton Mandel Recreation Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. He remarked, “It seems we are showing a significant advantage.”
He also emphasized, “Today, we will have a big victory. We ran a great campaign. This has been the best campaign.” He continued to claim that his loss in the second election (2020) was due to election fraud, adding, “I’m prepared to accept defeat if it’s a fair election,” which suggests he might not accept the results.
Trump expressed dissatisfaction with concerns that those refusing to accept the election results could provoke riots, like the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol incident. When asked if he would urge his supporters to refrain from violence, he replied, “No need to say it,” adding, “Of course, there will be no violence. My supporters are not violent people.”
He also criticized electronic voting machines, arguing they are less secure and slower to count than paper ballots. He said, “We are spending all this money on machines,” and claimed, “If we use paper ballots, IDs, and citizenship certificates, counting would be done by 10 PM.” He further added, “Did you know paper has become more sophisticated than computers?” and mentioned that “there’s no way to cheat if the paper has a watermark.”
Regarding key issues in this election, he said, “Many people say inflation is disastrous, but I think the top issue is the border problem,” adding, “We cannot allow criminals to enter our country.”
Trump is expected to watch the election results with friends at his private resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Later, he is expected to appear at a nearby convention center with thousands of supporters watching the election results, led by the Trump campaign.