Top congressional Democrats refused to say whether they would certify the 2024 election results if former President Donald Trump wins, suggesting that if the 45th president wins, it won’t be a fair and honest election.
House Oversight Committee ranking member Democrat Jamie Raskin (D-MD) insisted that his party does not “Engage in election fraud and election fabrication” but suggested that Republicans do.
If Trump “won a free, fair and honest election, then we would obviously accept it,” Raskin said, adding that he “Definitely” doesn’t “assume that” the former president will use honesty to secure the election.
Raskin, who also refused to accept the fact that Trump won in 2016, accused the 45th president of “Doing whatever he can to try to interfere with the process,” including manipulating the “Electorial college counts in Nevada or manipulating the vote count in Georgia or imposing other kinds of impediments.”
Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) echoed similar remarks, saying that her party would only certify a Trump win if they were sure all of the “Rules have been followed.” She added that she does not know “What kind of shenanigans” the former president is planning leading up to the November election.
On the contrary, Schakowsky was happy to join her Democrat colleagues in certifying the 2020 election results when President Joe Biden won.
The Democratic Party has historically denied election results when their desired candidate did not win.
In 2013 and 2016, Biden claimed that former Vice President Al Gore won the 2000 presidential election, while in May 2019, Biden said he “absolutely agrees” that Trump is an “illegitimate president.”
Twice-failed Democrat presidential candidate claimed the election was stolen from her after Trump secured the 2016 White House win.
Former Jan. 6 Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said that Democrats are planning to legally challenge a potential Trump win, arguing that there are "enough provisions in the law so that losers who feel aggrieved in their loss can take it to court."