Trump Sets Condition to Acknowledge Midterm Election Results in the U.S.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump declared that he would only recognize the results of the November 3 legislative elections if they are, in his words, honest. This statement was made as he boarded a plane to Lubbock, Texas, where he was scheduled to attend campaign rallies supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

When asked point-blank by a reporter if he would accept the election outcomes regardless of the results, Trump replied, "I will, if the elections are honest, yes," according to CBS News.

The Recurrent Condition Since 2020

This conditional stance has been a recurring theme for Trump since 2020. During the presidential debate in September of that year, he stated, "I hope they are fair elections. If they are fair... I am totally okay with that. But if I see tens of thousands of ballots being manipulated, I can't accept it."

Following his loss to Joe Biden, Trump alleged fraud, leading to the infamous Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. In the 2024 presidential debate, he reiterated the same condition: "If they are fair, legal, and correct elections, of course."

Even in July 2026, documents from the White House indicated no fraud in 2020, yet Trump persisted in these claims during a televised speech on July 16. According to CNN en Español, the primary issue with this stance is that Trump positions himself as the sole judge of electoral integrity, making it impossible for any court or independent body to meet his criteria if the outcome is unfavorable to him.

Utilizing the Veto as a Bargaining Tool

Trump also emphasized that he wouldn’t be immobilized if Republicans lose control of Congress. "I have a broad veto. I hope that doesn't happen, but if it does, it has happened before with other presidents. You have a broad veto and end up reaching deals," he commented to reporters, as reported by Diario las Américas.

Polls indicate that the Republican Party is in a precarious position: they could lose the House of Representatives, where they hold a slim majority of just four seats, and the Senate—once a Republican stronghold before the war with Iran—now hangs in the balance.

Trump's approval rating has dropped to between 31% and 33% according to various polls from October 2026, and 70% of Americans do not believe he will accept the results if his party loses.

Reward and Preemptive Measures

Last Monday, Trump announced on his social network, Truth Social, a $1 million reward for anyone who reports election fraud leading to a conviction: "Anyone who reports election fraud in past elections, or in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, will receive a payment of $1,000,000 following the arrest and conviction of those who committed such fraud!"

The announcement did not specify the source of the funds or which entity would manage the program.

This $1 million reward for election fraud is part of other maneuvers, including the SAVE America Act—which mandates voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote, passed in the House but repeatedly rejected in the Senate—and a Department of Justice lawsuit to block the certification of the Senate election in Alaska if Republican Dan Sullivan loses, a move legal experts view as lacking a clear constitutional basis.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in August 2026 that he couldn't guarantee that the Department of Justice would always act independently of Trump, and this week he dismissed concerns about January 6, 2021, as irrelevant to the midterms: "This is not a conversation about January 6."

Meanwhile, 54.6% of registered Latino voters plan to support Democratic congressional candidates, compared to 32.5% who would back Republicans, according to a survey by Florida International University and YouGov conducted between October 9 and 19, 2026.