J.D. Vance Claims He'll Accept The 2024 Election Results On 1 Condition

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) on Sunday said he will accept the outcome of the 2024 presidential race “if it’s a free and fair election” regardless of whether his preferred candidate wins.

The Ohio Republican, who is an ally of Donald Trump and reportedly one of his vice-presidential contenders, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Republicans, though, need to be prepared to challenge the results if they identify any potential issues.

“We have to be willing, as Democrats did in 2000, as Democrats have done in the past, and certainly as Republicans did in 2020… if you think there were problems, you have to be willing to pursue those problems and try to prosecute your case,” Vance said.

Following now-President Joe Biden’s win in November 2020, Trump refused to accept defeat, pushed false claims of voter fraud, and launched numerous failed legal challenges over the result.

Vance has previously said there were “problems” in the 2020 election.

He told CNN’s Dana Bash that Trump will ultimately emerge victorious in this year’s presidential contest and said he would accept a Biden win only if he considered the election to be legitimate.

“Certainly, if we have a free and fair election, I will accept the results,” Vance said.

Vance’s comments illustrate a new tactic by Republican lawmakers, who are now placing conditions on accepting election results.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), another supporter of Trump, echoed Vance, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday he will accept the outcome of November’s race if “there’s no massive cheating.”

“I accepted 2020,” Graham said. “Here’s what I would say: President Trump is poised to win.”

Ten days after the 2020 presidential race, Graham called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ® to