Ben Carson’s Response to Accepting Election Results Met With Alarm

Ben Carson’s remarks about whether he would accept the results of the 2024 presidential election regardless of which party wins falls in line with a recent Republican trend that’s causing a stir among social media users.

On CNN’s Laura Coates Live on Thursday night, Coates asked Carson, the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: “Will you accept the results of the 2024 election, regardless of who wins, yes or no?”

Carson replied: “I will accept the results if it’s done in a fair and transparent way.”

Carson is rumored to be in the running as a potential vice presidential pick for the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Coates pressed Carson by asking: “Do you have reason to doubt that it would be done in a fair and transparent way?”

“Well, let me put it this way, in the 2020 election, there were a lot of irregularities,” Carson answered.

Coates replied that there is no substantial evidence of widespread voter fraud, as the former president has consistently claimed. Trump faces two 2020 election interference cases—a state trial in Georgia and one federal trial in Washington, D.C.

In Fulton County, Georgia, Trump and 18 co-defendants have been accused of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Biden beat Trump by more than 12,000 votes in the Peach State.

Trump’s federal election interference trial is regarding his alleged involvement in the events that resulted in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and attempt to block the peaceful transfer of power. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases.

“The fact that there are so many people who remain skeptical should raise questions for us,” Carson said about the 2020 election.

Newsweek reached out to Carson via The Carson’s Scholars Fund email on Friday.

On the show, Carson also spoke about tightening mail-in ballot policies, again casting doubt about voting integrity, saying that they should be used only by people “who can’t get to the polls.”

“I think having an election season versus an election day is a mistake,” Carson said, adding that there are “too many opportunities for mischief.”

Earlier this week, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz joined CNN’s The Source with Kaitlin Collins to discuss the same question about accepting the results the upcoming election.

Cruz told Collins: “I think that’s actually a ridiculous question.” Cruz was the first senator to object to certifying the 2020 election results for Arizona.

“If the Democrats win, I will accept the result, but I’m not going to ignore fraud regardless of what happens,” he told Collins. On the show, he maintained that there was fraud in 2020.

Collins posted a segment of her show on her X, formerly Twitter, account, where she said that “a new trend is taking place to not only cast doubt on the last election but to also raise questions about the next one in 2024.” The segment features interview clips of prominent GOP figures like Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida answering the same question.

Users on X, mainly affiliated with the Democratic Party, reacted to Carson’s noncommittal response.

Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko reposted the video segment of Carson’s response with the caption: “They are still pushing the big lie even after all their buddies and colleagues continue to get indicted.”

Eighteen people were indicted by an Arizona grand jury for alleged conspiracy and attempt to use alternate electors in the 2020 presidential election. Former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani was among those indicted.

Russell Drew, a self-described “political junkie,” replied to a video post with the comment: “Folks, this is the Republican playbook: Refuse to say you’ll accept election results if Donald Trump loses. They’re setting the stage for another January 6.”

The post continued, “and it’s not just the crazies. Even ‘establishment types’ like Marco Rubio have said this. Nikki Haley will be next.”

Navy veteran Jared Ryan Sears responded to the video segment: “Have any GOP members who aren’t retiring said directly that they will accept the results of the election? Are there any spines left?”

German film and television star Eric Braeden posted on X on Thursday night: “LAURA COATES, I really like you, but WHY do you give airtime to BEN CARSON, knowing the nonsense he spouts! He’s an embarrassment to black professionals!”