14% of Republicans would 'take action to overturn' the election if Trump loses, study finds
USA Today2 days
Poll: Over 10% of US Voters May 'Take Action' to Overturn Election
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Above: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are seen on a screen as they debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign. Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
According to a nationwide World Justice Project/YouGov poll released this week, one-third of Americans said they wouldn't accept the presidential election results if their preferred candidate loses.
Around 1,046 individuals were surveyed in June — before Pres. Joe Biden withdrew from the race — with 46% of Republicans and 27% of Democrats saying the November election would be illegitimate if the other party won.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
That nearly half of Republicans said beforehand they wouldn't accept a loss may not be surprising, but it's certainly alarming. They are ready to throw the country into chaos again to overturn the results in the event of a likely electoral defeat for Trump — and they're not even trying to hide it.
Republican narrative
It's very hypocritical of Democrats to try to paint Trump as the only ever to contest election results. Both Republicans and Democrats have a history of challenging electoral outcomes, including Hilary Clinton, who repeatedly claimed that her defeat in 2016 was illegitimate — this poll indicates that the losing party will inevitably cry foul this year.
