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On Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that he would only accept the results of the 2026 midterm elections if he felt they were “honest” — echoing statements he’s made in the past while peddling baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

When asked by journalists if he would “respect” the results of the midterms, Trump indicated his response may depend on the elections’ outcome.

“I will, if they’re honest elections, yeah,” Trump said. He then walked away, seemingly to avoid follow-up questions.

Q: You'll respect the election results whatever happens?TRUMP: If they're honest elections(That's a no!)— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-10-27T15:40:17.338Z

Q: You'll respect the election results whatever happens?TRUMP: If they're honest elections(That's a no!)

Trump’s recent remarks echo other statements he’s made regarding election integrity.

In February, for example, he said that he would only accept the results of the midterms if he deemed them “honest.” If not, Trump added, then “something else has to happen.” The president didn’t elaborate on what he meant.

Todd Blanche Won’t Rule Out DOJ Disruption of Midterm Elections Certification

In the spring of 2024, Trump similarly said he’d only accept the 2024 election results “if everything’s honest,” saying that, if it wasn’t, he would “have to fight for the right of the country.” Trump ended up winning that race, but afterward made grandiose claims that he........

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