U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, an ally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, stated on Sunday, May 19, 2024, that he would not accept the results of the November 5 election if they are “unfair.”
“Will you accept the election results of 2024, no matter what happens, Senator?” NBC News’ “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker asked Rubio, a Florida Republican, in an interview. “No matter what happens? No,” Rubio responded. “If it’s an unfair election, I think it’s going to be contested by either side.”
Trump and his allies are preparing to challenge a potential loss in November, raising doubts about the election’s legitimacy despite polls showing the former president leading in battleground states, Reuters reported on Thursday.
In recent interviews, Trump has refused to commit to accepting the election results, continuing a strategy he used during the 2020 election. Trump’s false claims that his 2020 defeat was the result of fraud inspired his supporters to assault the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Rubio, now in his third term in the Senate, is considered a potential candidate for Trump’s vice-presidential running mate. Earlier this month, two other potential running mates—U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum—also refused to commit to accepting the election results.
Rubio claimed that Democrats have “opposed every Republican victory since 2000,” although those candidates conceded their losses. “If it’s unfair, we are going to do the same thing Democrats do,” Rubio said. “We’re going to use lawyers to go to court and point out the fact that states are not following their own election laws.”
(Reuters)
