Republicans are increasingly joining former President Trump on hedging or dodging when asked whether they'll accept the results of the 2024 elections.
Why it matters: Promising to accept the results of elections used to be a cliche. But in the Trump era, that's no longer a guarantee.
- Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) told CNN's "State of the Union" today he'll accept the results if they're "fair and free." In February, he told ABC News that if he were vice president in 2020, he would have told states to submit alternate slates of electors and let Congress decide.
- Speaker Mike Johnson would "adhere to the rule of law" on accepting results, but is fine with legal challenges, spokesperson Taylor Haulsee told the New York Times.
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) repeatedly dodged when "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker asked if he'll accept the next election's results, calling it a "hypothetical question."
- Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said she'll accept results if "constitutional," but also said the 2020 election was not, because of COVID-era changes to voting.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he'll accept the results if "there's no massive cheating."
- Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) will accept the results if he thinks they're fair and if states follow their own laws, he said last month at an Axios event.
The bottom line: Trump campaign officials said it wasn't a "litmus test" when they asked potential RNC hires if the 2020 election was stolen, Axios' Sophia Cai reported in March.
- "There is a litmus test," a Trump official told reporters at the time. "And that is, 'Do you support President Trump, or not?'"
