Donald Trump is back in the headlines for his remarks about the midterm election results. In a face-to-face interview with NBC News, the president made a series of claims that have drawn widespread attention.
A video from the interview shows NBC News anchor Tom Llamas asking, “Will you trust the results of the midterms if Republicans lose control of Congress?” Trump responded that he would, but only under certain conditions.
Trump said, “Of — I will if the elections are honest. Look, I — I want — the last one that wants to complain. I just w — I just had a great election. They say one of the greatest elections, you will agree, ever. Won all seven swing states. Won 84% of the counties in America…”
Throughout the interview, Trump alluded to his belief that some elections are unfair and corrupt. He also argued that Democrats oppose voter ID laws because they want to cheat in elections.
He suggested that if states cannot run elections honestly, the federal government may need to intervene. In his words, “The Democrats don’t want voter ID. If they don’t want voter ID, that means they want to cheat. We can’t allow cheating in elections. Now, if we need to put in federal controls as opposed to state controls…”
BREAKING: Trump refuses to commit to honoring midterm results unless he thinks “the elections are honest.”
He’s telling you in advance:
Democracy only counts when he wins. pic.twitter.com/HQjpRXPsDW
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) February 5, 2026
Reaction to Trump’s claim has been largely negative among critics who say he is unwilling to accept reality. One political X account commented, “He’s telling you in advance:
Democracy only counts when he wins.”
Another X user stated, “This isn’t subtle anymore. He’s conditioning people to reject outcomes he doesn’t like while calling it ‘honesty.’ Words doing a lot of laundering here.”
In the interview, Trump was also seen boasting about having had a great election, but recent polling suggests otherwise. A YouGov/The Economist survey showed Trump’s net approval rating at minus 18, with 38% approving of his performance and 56% disapproving.
Democratic systems don’t work if one person gets to decide after the fact whether the results count.
This isn’t subtle anymore. He’s conditioning people to reject outcomes he doesn’t like while calling it “honesty.” Words doing a lot of laundering here.
— Nikos Unity (@nikosunity) February 5, 2026
This is why it won’t be surprising if the midterm results are not in Trump’s favor. However, his reluctance to accept the results has set many on alert.
Previously, Steve Bannon, an ally of Trump, also made some concerning remarks regarding the future elections. On his “War Room” podcast, he said, “You’re damn right we’re gonna have ICE surround the polls come November.”
Donald Trump stated he will only accept the 2024 election results if he deems them “honest.” This reflects his ongoing focus on election integrity since 2020.
Read more about his remarks [here](https://t.co/z5uNCSDuMQ).
— Politified Tees (@PolitifiedTees) May 2, 2024
Trump has also made similar remarks during past elections, so this hardly surprises anyone. But whether he will actually be mature about the results or not is something only the future will tell.
