White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday said President Trump would accept the results of a “free and fair election” while continuing to sow doubt about the legitimacy of voting by mail-in ballot.
McEnany was pressed at a White House briefing on the president’s comments a day earlier where he declined to commit to a peaceful transition of power.
“The president will accept the results of a free and fair election,” McEnany said.
WATCH:
White House Press Secretary @KayleighMcEnany: The president will accept the results of a free and fair election, Democrats won’t pic.twitter.com/wKRQ7FGgjl
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) September 24, 2020
“But I think that your question is more fitting to be asked of Democrats,” she continued, citing comments from Rep. Jim Clyburn, who has previously suggested Trump doesn’t plan to leave office, as well as Hillary Clinton’s recent advice that Joe Biden should not concede the election.
She went on to rail against the use of mail-in ballots, citing incidents where mail has ended up in a ditch in Wisconsin.
The White House has repeatedly argued that the “mass” distribution of ballots could lead to a “rigged” or “fraudulent” result, even as Trump on Thursday afternoon urged his supporters in Florida to request mail ballots.
Trump caused an uproar on Wednesday when he refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power regardless of the outcome of the election.
“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know, but I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump told reporters at a White House briefing.