RUSH: I’d like to remind you what happened October 19, 2016. This is from the archives of the apoplectic and failing New York Times. You remember what happened on October 19, 2016? If you don’t, I’ll remind you. It was a debate. It was a debate between Trump and Hillary.
Trump was asked a question by Chris Wallace of Fox News. (paraphrased exchange) “Mr. Trump, will you accept the results of the election if you lose? Will you concede?” and Trump said, “Nope. I’m not gonna tell you tonight that I’ll concede the election. I’m not gonna tell you what I’m gonna do on election night. Who knows what’s gonna happen on Election Day? I’m not gonna tell you that. I’ll look into it if it happens, but I’m not gonna commit to you tonight.”
The New York Times: “In a remarkable statement that seemed to cast doubt on American democracy, Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that he might not accept the results of next month’s election if he felt it was rigged against him — a stand that Hillary Clinton blasted as ‘horrifying’ at their final and caustic debate on [October 19, 2016]. Mr. Trump, under enormous pressure to halt Mrs. Clinton’s steady rise in opinion polls…” Isn’t it fun to go back and look at this stuff?
“Mr. Trump, under enormous pressure to halt Mrs. Clinton’s steady rise in opinion polls, came across as repeatedly frustrated as he tried to rally conservative voters with hard-line stands on illegal immigration and abortion rights. But he kept finding himself drawn onto perilous political territory by Mrs. Clinton and the debate’s moderator, Chris Wallace. … But it was Mr. Trump’s remark about the election results that stood out, even in a race that has been full of astonishing moments.
“Every losing presidential candidate in modern times has accepted the will of the voters…” Let me read that to you again: “Every losing presidential candidate in modern times has accepted the will of the voters, even in extraordinarily close races… Mr. Trump insisted … that the general election has been rigged against him, and he twice refused to say that he would accept its results. … ‘That’s horrifying,’ Mrs. Clinton replied. ‘Let’s be clear about what he is saying and what that means. He is denigrating — he is talking down our democracy. And I am appalled that someone who is the nominee of one of our two major parties would take that position.’ …
“‘It’s funny, but it’s also really troubling,’ she said. ‘That is not the way our democracy works.'” Now who is it that’s refusing to accept the results of an election? Who is it refusing to accept the will of the voters? Why, it’s Hillary Clinton, who still can’t get over it, who still talks about it in every speech that she makes — including when she shows up wearing a tent. Did you see that picture over the weekend? She was being interviewed by Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ widow, and she was literally dressed in… It was fashionably called a muumuu.
But, folks, this thing was an actual… It was a sheet! It was a designer sheet, and it wasn’t even Boll & Branch. It was… It was… (sigh) It was a tent! She was wearing a tent, and she was whining and moaning and talking about how tired she was and how exhausted. Now, who is it that’s threatening our democracy? Who is it that’s refusing to accept the results of an election to this day? Why, it’s all of these people from the New York Times to the Hillary Clinton to the media who were saying back in 2016, “What Trump is saying is really troubling. This is not the way our democracy works.” No, it’s not. That’s why I say these people are doing more to damage the integrity of our elections than anything Putin could dream of.