In a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, former President Donald Trump expressed a conditional acceptance of the upcoming 2024 presidential election results. Trump stated, “If everything’s honest, I’ll gladly accept the results. I don’t change on that. If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country.”
This is the latest in a series of comments by Trump that seem to undermine confidence in the American electoral system, particularly if he does not emerge victorious in the November elections. He also reiterated his unfounded claims of winning Wisconsin in the 2020 election and expressed skepticism over the integrity of the vote counting process.
Despite Trump’s assertions, President Joe Biden secured Wisconsin in the 2020 election with a lead of approximately 21,000 votes, translating to a 0.6 percentage point victory. Trump, however, has vowed to voice his concerns if he perceives the 2024 election to be dishonest, while expressing optimism that it will be fair.
Trump has been a vocal critic of the electoral process throughout his political career, often refusing to accept election results or commit to conceding defeat. His allegations of fraud following his second-place finish in the 2016 Iowa caucuses and baseless claims of a “rigged” election against Democrat Hillary Clinton are notable examples.
Earlier this month, Trump joined House Speaker Mike Johnson in a news conference to highlight their concerns about state proposals and lawsuits that they believe could allow non-citizens to vote. Federal law currently prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, with violators facing potential fines, imprisonment, and deportation.
Trump has frequently made unfounded claims that Democrats are encouraging undocumented migrants to enter the country to influence elections, using these allegations to fuel fears around immigration and election security.
On Wednesday, Trump returned to the campaign trail for the first time since his New York criminal hush money trial began last month. He spent the day hosting rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, two key battleground states he won in 2016 but lost to Biden in 2020.
This story has been updated with additional comments. Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Alayna Treene, Kristen Holmes, Steve Contorno, and Alison Main.