NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) if he would accept the 2024 election results. Scott refused to answer until he snapped at Welker.
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Welker asked, “And to the point you voted to certify the election results of 2020. It’s the exact opposite of what you said and did after 2020 why would you want to be on a ticket with someone where there’s such a fundamental difference?”
Scott said, “There is clear facts here. 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 gonna make it an issue.”
Welker asked him, “Senator, will you commit to accepting the election results of 2024?”
Scott dodged, “Well, at the end of the day, the 47th President Of The United States will be President Donald Trump and I’m excited to get back to low inflation, low unemployment.”
Welker tried again, “Wait, wait, Senator, yes or no, yes or no. Will you accept the election results of 2024? No matter who wins?”
Scott refused to answer, “That is my statement.”
Kristen Welker wouldn’t stop, “But but is just yes or no. Will you accept the election results of 2024?”
Scott refused to support democracy, “I look forward to President Trump being the 47th President Kristen, you can ask multiple times.”
Welker tried for at least a fifth time, “Just a yes or no answer.”
Scott, “So the American people, the American people will make the decision.”
To her credit, Kristen Welker would not let it go: “But I don’t hear you committing to all the election. Will you commit to accepting the election results?”
Scott snapped, “This is why so many Americans believe that NBC is an extension of the Democratic Party. At the end of the day, I said what I said and I know that the American people, their voices will be heard and I believe that President Trump will be our next president. It’s that simple.”
Welker even explained why the peaceful transfer of power is important while asking again, “But senator, as you know, the hallmark of our democracy is that both candidates agree to a peaceful transfer of power. So I’m asking you as a potential VP nominee. Will you accept to commit to the election results in this election cycle? No matter who wins, just simply yes or no.”
Scott refused to say he would accept the results, “I expect, I expect President Trump to win the next election. Listen, I’m not going to answer your hypothetical question.”
Video:
Kristen Welker fact checks Tim Scott’s false claim that Trump had the lowest black unemployment, “In terms of black unemployment, it was at its lowest rate last year, in April of 2023, as compared to 2019 with Donald Trump.” #MTP pic.twitter.com/GyMAqNjiFc
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 5, 2024
There it is laid out for the whole world to see. The Republican Party’s position under Donald Trump is that they won’t accept the 2024 election results if they lose.
Kristen Welker has rightly received much criticism from viewers for going easy on Republicans, but she did not go easy on Scott and the topic of accepting the results of 2024. Welker did what more journalists should do.
She didn’t let Scott dodge, and she kept asking.
Tim Scott knows that if he wants to be Trump’s running mate, he has to refuse to accept the election results. If Trump really thought he was going to win, he would have no problem saying that he would accept the results.
The fact that Sen. Scott refused to make this commitment showed where he thinks this election really stands.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association