NBC’s Meet The Press Panel Questions Whether Trump Will Concede An Election Loss

Hugh Hewitt: “Secretary Clinton, If She Wins, May Get A Call From Governor Pence”

From the October 16 edition of NBC’s Meet the Press:

Video file

KRISTEN WELKER: My takeaway was the end of your interview with Mike Pence when you asked him if he would accept the election results. He said, yes, of course we’ll accept the results. Donald Trump is sending out the complete opposite message, and he’s trying to lay the groundwork for this idea that the election is rigged. And yesterday you had the Clinton campaign and Paul Ryan coming out in very strong terms, saying we will respect the results of this election. And Republicans increasingly concerned that they need to be louder about that so that whatever happens on Election Day is respected.

JOY REID: But I think you also see the sort of struggle within Mike Pence, Because he is trying to yield to what are clearly the talking points that the candidate wants, which is that the election is rigged, because he said that to you. And then he said, of course we’ll accept it, but he still has to sell this idea. Look, [Sen.] Jeff Sessions is also selling this idea. I think for the Republican Party, just as an institution, there has to be a righting of the ship. Because the integrity of the United States election I think is bigger than any candidate.

CHRIS CILLIZZA: I just -- I think he is such a dominant figure within the party. I know not for party regulars. Many party regulars reject that idea that Paul Ryan is their -- but I think that for your average Republican voter in this election, he is such a big figure that -- and it's so hard for me to imagine that what he says in tweets over this last week, somehow three weeks from now he says, “and I just want to say, I have announced that I have placed a call to Hillary Clinton to congratulate her.” I literally struggle to wrap my mind around him doing that. I think it's in all of his business interests, conservative media network, a rump faction of the Republican Party, all of those suggest that he not concede. And this idea that like, well, Reince Priebus and Paul Ryan say that he concede --

CHUCK TODD (HOST): Yeah. Well, Mike Pence may concede for-- on his behalf.

HUGH HEWITT: Secretary Clinton, if she wins, may get a call from Governor Pence.

Previously:

Trump’s “Rigged” Election Nonsense Comes Straight From His Conspiracy Theorist Allies

ABC's Martha Raddatz: Trump's Claim Of A Rigged Election Is “A Fundamental Challenge To A Pillar Of Democracy”

CNN’s Stelter: Trump Replacing Birther Conspiracy Theory With “Ludicrous" Claim That Media Is Rigging The Election