President Trump said Tuesday that he will respect the outcome of next week’s midterm elections as long as the vote is conducted honestly, as Democrats ramp up warnings about what the administration might do after Election Day.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for a campaign swing through Texas, the president was pressed on whether he would accept the results no matter what happens.
“I will, if they are honest elections, yeah,” Trump said.
The president also addressed what he would do if Republicans lose control of the House or Senate on Nov. 3. Trump said he would find a way to work with Democrats, while noting that he holds a powerful check on any legislation they pass.
“We’ll figure a way. Look, I have strong veto,” Trump said. “I hope that won’t be the case, but if it is, that’s happened before with many presidents.”
Trump’s comments come as Democrats sound the alarm over his pre-election rhetoric. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., accused the president of laying the groundwork to steal the election, a charge Republicans have dismissed as fearmongering.
Congressional Democrats and their allies have spent months preparing for potential clashes with the administration over the vote. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., a former California secretary of state, said Democrats, election officials and voting rights lawyers are ready to respond quickly to any perceived threats.
Trump has long said election integrity is a top priority for his administration. Earlier this year, when asked whether he would send ICE officers or National Guard troops to polling places, he said he would do anything necessary to make sure the country has honest elections.
The administration has also taken its case to court. The Justice Department recently launched legal challenges over how Alaska and California are conducting this year’s midterms, though those efforts hit a setback. Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, ruled that the federal law cited by the department does not override states’ primary authority to run elections.
The Supreme Court also rejected the president’s plan to change how mail-in ballots are sent to voters nationwide and upheld state laws that allow mail ballots arriving after Election Day to be counted.
Critics argue the president is setting the stage to cast doubt on results he dislikes, pointing to his challenges to the 2020 election. Supporters counter that questions about voter rolls, mail-in ballots and election administration are legitimate and that voters deserve confidence in the outcome.
The stakes are high for Republicans. Polls show Democrats leading on the generic congressional ballot, and multiple forecasters now project the House is likely to flip. Rising costs, including energy prices tied to the conflict with Iran, have weighed on the GOP’s standing heading into the final week.
Trump, however, has continued to predict strong results for his party. He is crisscrossing the country in the closing days of the campaign, with Tuesday’s Texas trip aimed at shoring up Republican candidates in a state the GOP considers essential to holding the Senate.
Vice President JD Vance is also on the trail, making a final midterm push in Michigan this week.
With Election Day one week away, the president’s message was clear: he will accept the outcome, but he will be watching closely to make sure the rules are followed.
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