Joshua Zitser
Sep 24, 2020
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Donald Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election in November.
Responding to a reporter at a news conference, he said: "Well, we'll have to see what happens."
Trump is currently polling behind Joe Biden in national opinion polls.
But if the president were to lose the election, he could be the first presidential candidate in modern history not to concede.
People online were astonished and appalled.
Some called it impeachable.
Others expressed their concern about the effect on American democracy.
Many people urged newspapers and broadcasters to lead with it in their coverage.
Some people even read it as a threat of civil war.
Lots of people think reporters should bring it up every time they question a Republican lawmaker.
When pressed on his answer, Trump said:
Get rid of the ballots, we'll have a very peaceful transfer.
There won't be a transfer, frankly, we'll have a continuation.
People were equally horrified by this.
Rhetoric such as this even prompted some to compare Trump to a dictator.
There were those who wanted you to be sure that this wasn't a joke by Trump.
While others urged voters to call their representatives.
The idea of a landslide for Biden to ensure a peaceful transfer of power was suggested.
A landslide for either candidate would make a peaceful transfer of power more likely – but we'll have to wait and see what November brings.
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