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McEnany Turns Tables on Reporters and Dems Who Claim Trump Won't Agree to Peaceful Transfer of Power

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A recent comment from President Trump has the major news media and others on the Left asking whether he will step aside in a peaceful transition of power if he loses or if he'll go down swinging.

Even a few top Republicans have pushed back after the President suggested he might not accept election results if Democrat Joe Biden prevails in November.

During a news conference Wednesday, President Trump refused to confirm that he would concede should he lose the election. Coming only about six weeks before votes are counted, his comments are causing concern on both sides of the aisle. 

On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Kaleigh McEnany said reporters need to be fair and ask Democrats the same question, pointing out that just last month Hillary Clinton said, "Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstance." 

She also reminded reporters of several quotes in which Democrats have tried to cast doubt on the results of an election that hasn't even happened yet, by claiming the only way Trump can win is by stealing the election.

McEnany further clarified, "The president will accept the results of a free and fair election. But I think your question is more fitting for Democrats who are on the record saying they won't accept the results of an election."

BELOW: White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany held a press briefing Thursday afternoon.  

President Trump's comments came Wednesday while answering questions at the end of his White House briefing. He was asked if he would commit to making sure that there is a peaceful transfer of power after the election. "Well, we're going to have to see what happens. You know that," Trump had said. 

But after all the heavy criticism, the president fired back the next day, saying he only wants the election to be fair, but he has questions because of the issue of mail-in voting. "We want to make sure the election is honest, and I'm not sure that it can be. I don't, I don't know that it can be with this whole situation. Unsolicited ballots, they're unsolicited, millions being sent to everybody. And we'll see," Trump said.

With 40 days until the election, the president's comments are fueling the debate about election results as more states are encouraging mail-in voting during the pandemic.

But some Republicans, Mitt Romney among them, want to send a clear message. He tweeted, "Any suggestion that a President might not respect this constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable."

The Heritage Foundation's Hans von Spakovsky believes the president would only hold up the process if there were doubts about the election. "Issues that rightfully lead to contesting the outcome that he would wait on what to do before conceding the election," von Spakovsky noted. 

At her weekly press briefing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had a message for the President. "Why don't you just try to honor your oath of office to the Constitution of the United States," she chided. 

Trump made similar comments ahead of the 2016 election. When asked during an October debate whether he would abide by the voters' will, he responded that he would "keep you in suspense." 

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About The Author

Tara
Mergener

Tara Mergener is an award-winning journalist and expert storyteller who spent the majority of her career as a correspondent in Washington, D.C. She worked at CBS Newspath for many years, reporting for all CBS platforms, including CBS News and CBS affiliates throughout the nation. Tara also reported at CNN, Hearst’s Washington, D.C. Bureau, and was a contributor on Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren. Tara has won dozens of awards for her investigative and political reporting, including Headliner Foundation’s Best Reporter in Texas, multiple Edward R. Murrow awards, Texas Associated Press