Trump’s Irresponsible Statements About Keeping Us in “Suspense” About Election Concession is Lead Story from Yesterday’s Debate

From Politico Playbook:

THE BIG DEBATE MOMENT:

CHRIS WALLACE : “I want to ask you here on the stage tonight, do you make the same commitment that you’ll absolutely accept the result of the election?”

DONALD TRUMP: “I will look at it at the time. I’m not looking at anything now. I’ll look at it at the time.”

HOW IT PLAYED NOTICE A TREND?NYT (lead story, A1), “TRUMP WON’T SAY IF HE WILL ACCEPT ELECTION’S RESULT — ‘I Will Keep You in Suspense,’ He Says – Clinton Calls It ‘Horrifying'” http://nyti.ms/2ewmNAiWaPo (banner headline, five columns), “Trump won’t vow to honor results” http://bit.ly/2abLGj6 WSJ (five-column banner headline), “Trump Wavers on Accepting Result” http://bit.ly/2eJml5HColumbus Dispatch (banner headline using the AP’s story), “Accept defeat? Trump won’t say” http://politi.co/2dpEKDrMilwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Trump balks at vow to honor vote result” http://politi.co/2eaApWvCharlotte Observer (four-column banner headline), “Trump refuses to say he’d accept a loss” http://politi.co/2eayWiPPhiladelphia Inquirer (four-column banner headline), “Trump suggests he might not accept results of election: The Final Battle” http://politi.co/2ewuhmMCincinnati Enquirer (five columns), “‘SUSPENSE’ — ELECTION 2016 Trump leaves voters hanging on acceptance of election results” http://politi.co/2dpFTLd

AP’s LEDE (by Julie Pace and Lisa Lerer) — “Threatening to upend a fundamental pillar of American democracy, Donald Trump refused to say in debate that he will accept the results of next month’s election if he loses to Hillary Clinton. The Democratic nominee declared Trump’s resistance ‘horrifying.'” http://apne.ws/2eluISk

N.Y. POST cover, “HE’S IN A FIX — Trump harumphs in final debate — Refuses to say he’ll accept election results — Oh, and Emmys were rigged too” http://nyp.st/2elkTnc

BRET STEPHENS, columnist at the WSJ (@StephensWSJ) at 10:09 p.m.: “Trump’s answer on accepting the outcome of the vote is the most disgraceful statement by a presidential candidate in 160 years.”

EDITORIALS all singing the same tune — NYT, “Donald Trump’s Contempt for Democracy” http://nyti.ms/2eJGN6uWaPo, “Trump’s breathtaking repudiation of American democracy” http://wapo.st/2enfue2WSJ, “Trump vs. Trump vs. Clinton: He held his own on the issues, but his ego keeps getting in the way.” http://on.wsj.com/2ewKEQg

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