Trump says he will accept results of US election if he wins

WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (KUNA) -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday that he will accept the results of the Nov. 8 election if he wins.
"I would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters and to all of the people of the United States that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election, if I win," Trump said during a campaign rally in Delaware, Ohio.
The New York real estate mogul was widely criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike after the final 2016 presidential debate with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on Wednesday night, during which he refused to pledge to accept the results of the election, regardless of the winner.
In his first campaign appearance since the debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump said, "of course I would accept a clear election result, but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result." "We want fairness during the election," he said.
"This is having nothing to do with me but having to do with the future of our country. We have to have fairness." Trump has been saying for weeks that the US elections system is "rigged," and has stirred up his political base with warnings of potential massive voter fraud on Nov. 8.
In his speech, he referred to illegal immigrants voting as well as "dead people," and again accused Clinton of being "crooked." After the debate on Wednesday night, some of Trump's defenders compared his remarks to the aftermath of the November 2000 presidential election, when challenges by Democratic nominee Al Gore to the results in Florida culminated in a 5-4 US Supreme Court ruling that halted the recount in Florida, resulting in the awarding of the election to Republican George W. Bush. (end) rm.mb