Speaking on Fox News this Wednesday night following the third and final presidential debate, conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer said that Donald Trump‘s indication that he won’t accept the results of the election was a “terrible mistake,” and possibly even “political suicide.”
Krauthammer argued that Trump overall did much better than he had in previous debates, but “blew it up” with just one answer.
“Trump had a really good night, but here, the consensus is right. He blew it up by a totally wrong answer on accepting results.” Krauthammer said. “In some sense, I almost admire him for it. This was not a gaffe where you say something off the cuff and it’s what you think, but it’s wrong. You know that he had been coached on this. You know that his vice president had said off course, we’ll accept the result and his campaign manager and daughter. And you know that he’s convinced that this is something you wants to take a stand on.
“This is political suicide,” he declared. “Because what is his task tonight? His task tonight was to stop the slide. The slide had to do with people who are grudgingly going over to Clinton who don’t want to, who have held down for a year.”
@krauthammer calls Trump's refusal to accept the result of the election "political suicide." #debatenight pic.twitter.com/B9xxhEwxhp
— DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) October 20, 2016
Krauthammer lamented that the debate was a lost opportunity for Trump.
“They’re not going to change their views on Clinton, but if they can change their views on Trump, to make him less toxic and acceptable as president, and less radical, yes, they want a change agent,” Krauthammer said. “They think the country is one the wrong track, but they don’t want a radical that will challenge that foundations of the republic. Yes, you criticize conditions, you’re going to change Washington etc. but you don’t challenge the legitimacy of an election and holdup the prospect of actual nonacceptance. And when he did that, I think it was a terrible mistake.”
Watch the full Fox News segment below:
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