7 Trump Allies Who Have Hinted They Won't Commit to Accepting Results of the 2024 Elections

These 7 Pro-Trump Republicans Have Evaded Direct Answers About Accepting the 2024 Elections

Leading Republicans, including several possible running mates for former President Donald Trump, have hinted that they may contest the results of the 2024 election if their candidate loses. Several GOP leaders and candidates have refused to answer, evaded the topic, reacted with nonanswers, or delivered blatant lies when asked if they accept the outcome this time around, as per The New York Times. Their evasive responses demonstrate how a fundamental element of American democracy—that candidates are bound by the result—has been undermined by the former President's apparent failure to accept his loss during the 2020 election. Here are seven such politicians.

1. Tim Scott

In August 2023, during a Republican presidential primary discussion, Scott affirmed that former Vice President Mike Pence was right to certify the results on January 6, 2021. “Absolutely, he did the right thing,” Scott said then. Interestingly, more recently, Scott evaded eight efforts by Kristen Welker, the moderator of NBC's Meet the Press, when she tried to ascertain if he would accept the results of the upcoming election, regardless of who won. Welker's attempts came in the light of rumors that suggested Scott would be chosen as Trump's running mate. In the end, Scott steadfastly declined to say anything except to project a Trump win in November.

2. Mike Johnson

Johnson voted against recognizing the election win of President Joe Biden in 2020. A representative for Johnson, Taylor Haulsee, discussed the outcomes of the 2024 election in a statement provided to The New York Times on Friday, 10 May. “Speaker Johnson will always adhere to the rule of law. The speaker also recognizes the right of all candidates to contest election irregularities with litigation as appropriate.” Johnson stated in previous interviews that he thought upholding the Constitution could entail contesting the outcome. 

3. Elise Stefanik

Elise Stefanik, a prospective running mate for Trump who holds the highest position in the House Republican leadership, has pledged to accept the results 'if they're constitutional.' The New York lawmaker said that the 2020 results were unlawful, citing modifications to voting laws in some states. “What we saw in 2020 was unconstitutional circumventing of the Constitution, not going through state legislators when it comes to changing election law,” she told Meet the Press. “I see this at a very local level as well.”

4. Byron Donalds

In an interview, Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida who is on Trump's short list of possible running mates, said he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election if he believed it to be fair. Elaborating on his stance, Donalds added that this was not the case in 2020 when he played a pivotal role in Congress during the effort to void the presidential election. “As long as localities follow election laws passed by the legislature...If the procedures are followed, I’m good,” Donalds promised, adding that there shouldn't be any 'funny business.'

5. J.D. Vance

In response to a question about whether he would accept the results in 2024, J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican who is rumored to be on Trump's list for vice president, refused to comment. However, he stated that, in contrast to Vice President Pence in 2020, he would have supported Trump in his attempt to overturn the outcome. “If I had been vice president, I would have told the states — like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and so many others — that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there,” Vance told ABC News in February. “That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020.”

6. Sam Brown

Sam Brown answered questions from The Las Vegas Review-Journal last week on election fraud and whether or not he would be prepared to accept the outcome of the 2024 elections. However, he failed to respond to the queries in detail. Instead, Brown reportedly replied by casting doubt on the security of the election, according to the publication. Instead of giving concrete instances of the vulnerabilities he saw, he alluded to Democratic state lawmakers who 'rammed through new laws that put ballots and election security at risk' in 2020. “These last-minute changes caused many voters to lose confidence in our election systems,” Brown said.

7. Lindsey Graham

Trump has had the fervent backing of Lindsey Graham, who has accompanied him on several campaign rallies. The South Carolina legislator responded in the affirmative when asked by journalist Welker if he would accept the results of the 2024 election, 'no matter who wins.' On NBC's Meet the Press, however, he cited certain restrictions, like many of his fellow GOP members. "Yeah, I'll accept them if I think, you know, there's no massive cheating. I accepted 2020...Here's what I would say...President Trump is poised to win."