United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday refused to guarantee that he'll transfer power if he loses the November election, earning scorn from Democratic challenger Joe Biden and even from within his own party.
"Well, we're going to have to see what happens," Mr Trump responded when asked at a White House press conference about whether he is devoted to the most basic tenet of democratic rule in the USa peaceful handover of power upon a change of president.
Mr Biden, who holds a steady lead over the Republican incumbent in opinion polls ahead of the Nov 3 vote, expressed incredulity.
"What country are we in?" the previous VP said, when asked about Mr Trump's comment by newsmen. "Look, he says the most irrational things. I don't know what to say."
Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a frequent but rare party critic of Mr Trump, went further, stating that any hesitation on the core constitution guarantee was "unthinkable and unacceptable". "Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus," he tweeted.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko yesterday responded defiantly to the European Union and the US which refused to recognise his inauguration as president, citing rigged polls.
Mr Trump followed up his remarksunprecedented in modern times for a US presidentby resuming his near-daily complaint concerning the fairness of the election.
Apparently referring to the increased use of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said: "You know that I've been complaining very strongly concerning the ballots and the ballots are a disaster."
Mr Trump frequently claims that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to mass fraud and are being encouraged by Democrats to rig the election. But there is no evidence that the practice had ever led to significant fraud in US elections.
At the press conference, Mr Trump looked to suggest annulling what are expected to be the huge numbers of mailed-in ballots, noting that in such a scenario, he would remain in power.
"Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very peacefulthere won't be a transfer, frankly. There'll be a continuation," he said.
His latest insistence that there can't be a free and fair presidential election came as pressure mounts over his plan to put a new, right-leaning justice on the Supreme Court.
WAIT AND SEE
Well, we're going to have to see what happens.
US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, when asked at a White House press conference over whether he is devoted to the most basic tenet of democratic rule in the United Statesthe peaceful handover of power upon a change of president.
Mr Trump is set to nominate a replacement tomorrow for liberal-leaning justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died the previous week. His Republican Party, which has a majority in the Senate, is expected to quickly confirm the nominee. If it succeeds, the nine-justice court would likely have a strongly pro-conservative bent for years to come.
Democrats say the process should wait until the result of the election is known, allowing the winner to shape the Supreme Court.
With Mr Trump and the Republicans mounting a series of court challenges against the use of mail-in ballots, the chances of a contested election result are considered high. On Wednesday, Mr Trump said he thinks the election "will end up in the Supreme Court".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE