US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has laid out the conditions under which he would accept defeat in the current presidential race, stating he would only concede “if it’s a fair election.” The former president shared his concerns about the integrity of the election process, particularly focusing on the use of electronic voting machines.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in Florida, Trump clarified that he would acknowledge a loss provided the election was conducted fairly. “If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I would be the first one to acknowledge it… So far I think it’s been fair,” he stated.
Trump, however, criticized the reliance on electronic voting, suggesting that traditional methods would offer greater transparency. “They spend all this money on machines… If they would use paper ballots, voter ID, proof of citizenship, and one-day voting, it would all be over by 10 o’clock in the evening. It’s crazy,” he said in West Palm Beach.
He also emphasized the security benefits of paper ballots, arguing they are harder to tamper with than digital systems. “Do you know that paper is more sophisticated now than computers? If it’s watermarked paper, you cannot… It’s unbelievable what happens with it. There’s nothing you can do to cheat,” he explained.
Amid concerns about possible post-election unrest, Trump assured that his supporters would not resort to violence, saying, “Of course there’ll be no violence. My supporters are not violent people.”
Trump’s comments highlight the skepticism surrounding election integrity and raise questions about the influence of voting methods on public confidence in the electoral process.