Here’s What Could Happen If Donald Trump Doesn’t Accept The Election Results
 |
| Donald Trump, Election Results, Donald Trump Doesn’t Accept |
It was 1876, and the Democratic presidential nominee was one vote shy of the 185 Electoral College votes needed to secure the nation’s highest office. Tilden had swept the popular vote, winning 247,448 more ballots than his opponent Rutherford B. Hayes ― who also lagged behind in Electoral College votes, with 165
But 20 votes had not been counted: one from Oregon, four from Florida, eight from Louisiana and seven from South Carolina. Democratic candidates had used fraud and violence to sweep the state-level elections in the South. But since Republicans still maintained control of the state electoral boards, they could throw out votes in order to secure Hayes a win. On March 5, 1877, an Electoral Commission established by Congress confirmed Hayes would be America’s 19th president
During this political upheaval, there were talks of civil unrest, and fears of a second Civil War or the election being rigged to favor a candidate who better served the interests of the party in power. But Tilden, who had pretty good reason to think he was cheated, did not question the legitimacy of the results and conceded the election
Current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may not be as gracious
During the final presidential debate, Trump refused to say he would accept the election results in the contest against Hillary Clinton. In fact, as his chances of winning have dropped, his claims that the election is rigged against him have increased. (And, unlike Tilden, Trump doesn’t have a case
Fifty-six percent of Americans think Trump should concede if he loses on Tuesday, and 31 percent of those who believe he should concede think it would be a major threat to U.S. democracy if he doesn’t, according to a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted this month
Along party lines, the divide gets more stark. Only 48 percent of Republicans think Trump should concede if Clinton is declared the winner, compared to 77 percent of Democrats, based on the HuffPost/YouGov poll. Eighty-six percent of Republicans surveyed believe Clinton should concede versus 67 percent of Democrats
Some political reporters and experts have argued that it doesn’t matter whether Trump accepts the election outcome. To some extent, they’re right: If Trump loses, he’ll have few legal recourses to contest the result
But what if Trump doesn’t concede
“Ever since Thomas Jefferson effected the first change in party power in 1800, our democracy has depended upon the peaceful transfer of power and the idea of an opposition — but a loyal opposition,” Allan Lichtman, a political historian at American University, told The Huffington Post. “Is Trump going to change 200 years of American history
No one knows. But Trump refusing to concede would flip the bird to a long American tradition of accepting a loss in a presidential election. And refusing to bow out peacefully could have real-life consequences
Undermining The Next President
Many of Trump’s supporters think the election is rigged. Nearly half do not believe their votes will be counted, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll. This could make it difficult or impossible for Clinton to govern, Lichtman said
“If people don’t accept the legitimacy of the president, that could spread to lawmakers,” he said. Trump’s lack of willingness to concede could make it more difficult for Republicans in Congress to compromise as well as harder for the sitting president to muster public support for any issue she wants to pursue
But Republicans in Congress are already reluctant to compromise with the current Democratic president. One reason is because of the birther movement, a racist crusade led by Trump in an attempt to delegitimize President Barack Obama’s place in the White House. And, in January, at least 53 percent of Republicans still questioned whether Obama is American
But 20 votes had not been counted: one from Oregon, four from Florida, eight from Louisiana and seven from South Carolina. Democratic candidates had used fraud and violence to sweep the state-level elections in the South. But since Republicans still maintained control of the state electoral boards, they could throw out votes in order to secure Hayes a win. On March 5, 1877, an Electoral Commission established by Congress confirmed Hayes would be America’s 19th president
During this political upheaval, there were talks of civil unrest, and fears of a second Civil War or the election being rigged to favor a candidate who better served the interests of the party in power. But Tilden, who had pretty good reason to think he was cheated, did not question the legitimacy of the results and conceded the election
Current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may not be as gracious
During the final presidential debate, Trump refused to say he would accept the election results in the contest against Hillary Clinton. In fact, as his chances of winning have dropped, his claims that the election is rigged against him have increased. (And, unlike Tilden, Trump doesn’t have a case
Fifty-six percent of Americans think Trump should concede if he loses on Tuesday, and 31 percent of those who believe he should concede think it would be a major threat to U.S. democracy if he doesn’t, according to a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted this month
Along party lines, the divide gets more stark. Only 48 percent of Republicans think Trump should concede if Clinton is declared the winner, compared to 77 percent of Democrats, based on the HuffPost/YouGov poll. Eighty-six percent of Republicans surveyed believe Clinton should concede versus 67 percent of Democrats
Some political reporters and experts have argued that it doesn’t matter whether Trump accepts the election outcome. To some extent, they’re right: If Trump loses, he’ll have few legal recourses to contest the result
But what if Trump doesn’t concede
“Ever since Thomas Jefferson effected the first change in party power in 1800, our democracy has depended upon the peaceful transfer of power and the idea of an opposition — but a loyal opposition,” Allan Lichtman, a political historian at American University, told The Huffington Post. “Is Trump going to change 200 years of American history
No one knows. But Trump refusing to concede would flip the bird to a long American tradition of accepting a loss in a presidential election. And refusing to bow out peacefully could have real-life consequences
Undermining The Next President
Many of Trump’s supporters think the election is rigged. Nearly half do not believe their votes will be counted, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll. This could make it difficult or impossible for Clinton to govern, Lichtman said
“If people don’t accept the legitimacy of the president, that could spread to lawmakers,” he said. Trump’s lack of willingness to concede could make it more difficult for Republicans in Congress to compromise as well as harder for the sitting president to muster public support for any issue she wants to pursue
But Republicans in Congress are already reluctant to compromise with the current Democratic president. One reason is because of the birther movement, a racist crusade led by Trump in an attempt to delegitimize President Barack Obama’s place in the White House. And, in January, at least 53 percent of Republicans still questioned whether Obama is American
