Western Journal reports that, in a New York Times phone interview after election night, Donald Trump said he was “absolutely willing” to accept defeat and work with Democrats. The outlet quotes the Times as publishing Trump’s lines: “We’ll, you know, look forward to working with them” and “We’ll probably work something out.” Rally Is Life has not independently verified the Times interview or quotes.
What the Western Journal is pushing back on
The Western Journal argues major outlets primed readers to expect Trump to reject unfavorable results. It cites a New York Times Opinions podcast question from Michelle Cottle, as relayed by DNYUZ: “How might a certain president try to undermine the results if things don’t go his way?”
The piece also points to two Times stories (Sept. 8 and Sept. 20) with headlines it paraphrases as exploring whether Republicans might attempt to invalidate results or refuse to seat Democratic winners. Additionally, it references CNN’s Oct. 28 line, “Trump’s election-denying strategy is back for the midterms,” and the Washington Post’s “Trump declines to unconditionally accept midterm results.” These references are presented by the Western Journal; Rally Is Life has not verified the original headlines or stories.
The counterexample it highlights
To contrast those warnings, the Western Journal says the Times published Trump’s election-night comments signaling willingness to accept defeat and cooperate with Democrats.
One more flashpoint the piece mentions
The Western Journal includes a clip shared by RNC Research of Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker suggesting that if Democrats “don’t win in this election, we may not have other elections,” portrayed as an NBC interview exchange. Rally Is Life has not reviewed the full interview.
Bottom line
The Western Journal frames the Times’ publication of Trump’s election-night quotes as cutting against prior speculation that he would not accept results. All claims, quotes, and characterizations above are attributed to the Western Journal and its cited sources. Readers should consult the New York Times’ original interview for context and exact wording.
