Sen. Tim Scott declined multiple times to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 election, regardless of who wins. Appearing on Meet the Press, the South Carolina Republican repeatedly dodged host Kristen Welker’s attempts to pin him down and get him to agree to accept the results of the election — a basic tenet of democracy. In doing so, Scott may be currying favor with Donald Trump, who is already pushing the false rhetoric that Democrats “cheat” in elections, and hoping to be Trump’s VP pick.
“In an interview, Mr. Trump this week again would not commit to accepting the election results of 2024 if he loses. He still hasn’t conceded the last election. You of course did vote to certify the 2020 election results, and you’ve said, quote, ‘It was not stolen.’ Why would you join a ticket with someone who believes the exact opposite on this critical point?” Welker said. After suspending his own presidential campaign last November, Scott is speculated to be on the short list to be Trump’s vice presidential pick.
“Well, I think we have to listen to what President Trump said and not what the reporters said that he actually said,” Scott replied. “Here’s one of the things that he’s been very clear, and even talking about the situation in Wisconsin, what he said was he expects there to be an honest election. He expects the results will be clear and for him to be successful. I expect him to be successful as well.”
Mere days ago, Trump said he would only accept the 2024 election results if they were “honest.” “If everything’s honest, I’d gladly accept the results,” Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinelin an interview published Wednesday. “If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country,” he said, suggesting that he may not accept Wisconsin’s results if they are not in his favor.
Trump added, “If everything’s honest, which we anticipate it will be — a lot of changes have been made over the last few years — but if everything’s honest, I will absolutely accept the results.”
On Sunday, Trump falsely accused the Democratic Party of cheating in elections. “They get welfare to vote, and then they cheat on top of that. They cheat,” he wrote on Truth Social. No matter what Trump says, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency declared the 2020 elections to be “the most secure in American history.”
When Welker asked Scott again if he would accept the 2024 results, he replied: “President Trump himself said he expects this election to be fair, he expects it to be honest, and he expects to win. That’s what the presidential candidate should expect, and I expect the exact same thing. And frankly the American people agree with him. This is an issue that is not an issue, so I’m not going to make it an issue.”
Welker gave Scott at least six more opportunities to just say he will accept the results of the election regardless of who wins, and he refused each time.
“Will you commit to accepting the election results of 2024, bottom line?” the host said.
“At the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump,” Scott said, “and I’m excited to get back to low inflation, low unemployment —”
“Senator, yes or no? Yes or no? Will you accept the election results of 2024 no matter who wins?” Welker asked.
“That is my statement,” Scott said.
“Just yes or no. Will you accept the election results of 2024?”
“I look forward to President Trump being the 47th president and Kristen, you can ask them multiple times — but at the end of the day… the American people will make the decision,” Scott said. “And the decision will be for President Trump. That’s clear.”
Welker continued to press, but Scott persistently refused to say he would accept the results. “I expect President Trump to win the next election and, listen, I’m not going to answer your hypothetical question,” he said.
Scott even testily claimed that Welker’s questioning is the reason “why so many Americans believe that NBC is an extension of the Democrat party.”
When Welker asked about Scott’s abortion stance and whether it aligned with Trump’s, the senator lied about Democrats’ position on abortion, dishonestly claiming that “every single Democrat in the Senate and in the House have voted for abortion up until the day of birth.” Scott has previously endorsed a federal 15-week ban on abortion, which contradicts Trump’s position that the states should decide abortion law while, as Welker said, leaving “three exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.”
Scott insisted that he has “certainly not changed my position whatsoever.”
Welker also asked Scott about whether he is on Trump’s “short list” of vice presidential picks. Scott replied, “I hope that the president will choose a person who helps the country unite and heal. I certainly expect to have a decision from President Trump in the next 60 days or so. But he did not bring it up.”
