Visit PBS NewsHour Extra for more education resources designed to help teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories.
Essential question
How is the transition of presidential power important to maintaining democracy?
In the last presidential debate of the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump talked about many issues, but one of the hot topics was whether Trump will concede if he loses the election.
This week, as his poll numbers continued to lag behind Clinton’s, Trump began making statements about his suspicions of a rigged election and warning followers of voter fraud and other attempts to undermine his campaign. He went as far as to say he would not accept the results of the election if Clinton won.
At the debate, Fox moderator Chris Wallace asked the Republican nominee if he planned to contest the results of the election if he lost.
“I will tell you at the time, I will keep you in suspense,” Trump said, despite assurances from members of his own campaign that he would concede in the event of a Clinton victory.
Clinton called this response “horrifying” and pointed to the instance several years ago when Trump accused the Emmy Awards of being rigged after not receiving an award for his reality television show, “The Apprentice.”
“Every time Donald thinks things aren’t going in his direction he claims whatever it is is rigged against him,” she said. “This is how Donald thinks.”
Key terms
voter fraud — the intentional corruption of the electoral process by one or more voters
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
Advertisement
