Trump says he doesn’t think there will be violence in November but ‘it depends’

In a new interview with Time magazine, former President Trump did not rule out the possibility of political violence after November’s election if he does not win, saying it all depends on the fairness of the vote.

Mr. Trump spoke at length. in time magazine on his plans for a second term if he wins the November election. Asked if he was concerned about the possibility of political violence related to the November election, President Trump said he did not think it would occur.

“I think we can win big. And I don’t think there will be any violence,” President Trump said.

But in a follow-up interview a few days later, the outlet asked Trump what would happen if he didn’t win the November election, something the former president was less forthcoming about.

“Well, I think we can win. We’re so far ahead. I don’t think they can do something as bad as they did last time. Absolutely terrible,” President Trump said, adding that the 2020 election He hinted that repeated claims of widespread fraud had been debunked or rejected by the courts.

“But I don’t think we can do it. I think we will win,” Trump continued. “And if they don’t win, it depends on the circumstances. It always comes down to the fairness of the election. I don’t think they can do what they did last time. I don’t think they can get away with it. Too. If we do, we will win in record-setting fashion.”

Trump’s critics quickly pounced on the comment, framing it as the latest example of the former president increasing the likelihood of violence if he doesn’t win. After President Trump warned in March that there would be “bloodshed” if he lost, President Biden and his allies sounded the alarm as well, but President Trump and many Republicans said those comments were taken out of context. He was adamant that it was about the fate of the American auto industry. .

Still, President Trump’s unwillingness to rule out violence depending on the outcome in November is particularly concerning given what happened after his 2020 defeat. After the presidential election, Trump spent weeks claiming that the election results were fraudulent, and on January 6, 2021, pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the election results, and on January 6, 2021, he appeared in front of the White House. It culminated in a rally.

Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, violently clashing with law enforcement and chanting for Pence to be hanged. Hundreds of people have been charged in the aftermath of the violence, and Trump himself faces federal charges in Washington, D.C., for trying to overturn the election and stay in power.

Updated at 12:56 p.m.