As the November election draws near, Donald Trump’s potential vice presidential candidates have begun to engage in an unofficial loyalty exercise: they have questioned the legitimacy of an outcome that doesn’t end with Trump as the winner. On Sunday morning, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina (R)–who NBC News had reported in February as the leading candidate–questioned the legitimacy of an election that did not end with Trump winning.
[[{“value”:”Numerous of Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidates have engaged in what appears to be an unofficial loyalty test to question the legitimacy of an election that does n’t end with Trump winning.
On Sunday morning, Sen. Tim Scott ( R- SC ) —who NBC News reported in February was the leading candidate for the VP job—showed why he may be Trump’s favored candidate: he refused no less than six times to answer whether or not he would accept the results of November’s election no matter the outcome.
Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, noted amid this line of questioning that just this week, Trump falsely claimed he won Wisconsin in the 2020 election ( he lost in that state to Joe Biden by more than 20, 000 votes ) —which Scott voted to certify. But each time she asked, Scott dodged.
” Senator, will you commit to accepting the election results of 2024, lower line”? Welker asked.
” At the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump, and I’m excited to get back to low inflation, low unemployment …”
” Wait, wait, senator, yes or no, will you accept the election results of 2024, no matter who wins”?
” That is my statement”, Scott said.
WATCH: @kwelkernbc asks @SenatorTimScott ( R- S. C. ) if he’ll accept the outcome of the 2024 election.
Scott:” The 47th president of the United States will be Donald Trump”.
Welker:” Will you accept the election results of 2024, no matter who wins”?
Scott:” That is my statement”. pic. twitter.com/uSw2ZNtKek
— Meet the Press ( @MeetThePress ) May 5, 2024
Welker went on to remind him that accepting election results, also losing ones, is essential:” But senator, as you know, the hallmark of our democracy is that both candidates agree to a peaceful transfer of power. So I’m enquiring about whether you, as a possible vice president nominee, will accept to support the election results regardless of who wins. Simply put, “yes or no”
When I say that I anticipate President Trump winning the upcoming election, and I do n’t want to respond to your hypothetical question, when in fact I think the American people are speaking about the results of the election and that if it persists for the next six months, we’ll be in a great position to return to another level of prosperity. Scott continued,” I’m anticipating that,” adding that he anticipates that Trump will make his choice for vice president in the next 60 days.
Trump has continued to doubt his ability to accept a good and free election result. Only this week, for example, he even suggested he may not accept the results Wisconsin this year.
” If everything’s fair, I’ll gladly accept the results. I do n’t change on that”, Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday, when he was there for a rally. ” If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country”.
On Sunday morning, a Scott spokesperson did not respond to Mother Jones ‘ questions inquiring about the senator’s positions. Additionally, Trump campaign representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
On the subject of regulating abortion, Scott even demonstrated his position was trailing Trump. While he previously stated that he thought a 15-week federal abortion ban would be a fair” compromise” for voters, he said on Sunday that” there is no question that President Trump has made it very clear that he wants the issue to be left to the states with three exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother’s life.”
But when Welker asked if his view about the 15- week abortion ban had changed, Scott said,” I have surely not changed my position anymore”.
As I’ve written, conservatives have urged Trump to enforce the Comstock Act—a 19th- century anti- obscenity law that bars the mailing of “every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any obscene or evil use” —if re- elected, which abortion rights advocates fear could be used to enact a nationwide abortion ban. In other words: Scott’s comments should never be taken lightly.
Scott even repeated the lie on Sunday that Democrats “voted for abortion up until the day of birth,” which was also propagated by Trump.
WATCH: @SenatorTimScott ( R- S. C. ) campaigned on a federal abortion ban during his campaign.
But Trump— who he’s endorsed — says he would n’t sign one.
Scott:” Let’s get back to what the Dobbs decision created — which is an opportunity for the states to make their decisions”. pic. twitter.com/ZkLiFrx8nb
— Meet the Press ( @MeetThePress ) May 5, 2024″}]] Numerous of Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidates have engaged in what appears to be an unofficial loyalty test to question the legitimacy of an election that does n’t end with Trump winning. On Sunday morning, Sen. Tim Scott ( R- SC ) —who NBC News reported in February was the leading candidate for
As the November election draws near, Donald Trump’s potential vice presidential candidates have begun to engage in an unofficial loyalty exercise: they have questioned the legitimacy of an outcome that doesn’t end with Trump as the winner. On Sunday morning, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina (R)–who NBC News had reported in February as the leading candidate–questioned the legitimacy of an election that did not end with Trump winning.
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