BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): First off, Karl, what is your moment?
KARL ROVE: Well, it was the moment where he refused to answer Chris Wallace's question, because it's dominated the coverage. And what matters --
KILMEADE: What do you mean by that?
ROVE: Well, the question of, “will you accept the outcome of the election,” and he said --
STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Well, he answered it.
ROVE: Yeah, he answered it. “I'll keep you in suspense.” And, as a result, that's the -- look at all the headlines this morning, that's the headline out of the debate, and it's not the headline he wanted.
[...]
AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): So, what's wrong with that? Why is that a problem?
ROVE: He could have easily said, “of course I believe in the peaceful transition of power, and I'll accept the results of the election as they're certified and validated.”
DOOCY: But he thinks the whole system's rigged.
ROVE: Right, but look, here's the deal, this wipes out all the good things that he said last night on trade and on immigration, on the Clinton Foundation, because this is the headline. Now, before the Democrats get in a high dungeon about this, I want you to remember, you read some footage earlier and Jesse Jackson was on there denouncing Trump over this. Well, I remember in mid-December, after the Supreme Court came down in 2000 with the decision on Gore v. Bush, Jesse Jackson was one of the people who said, “George Bush is not legitimately elected president of the United States.” In fact, on December 17th, Tim Russert asked the Democratic leader in the House, Dick Gephardt, “do you agree with Jesse Jackson that Bush is an illegitimately-elected president, that he's not a legitimate president,” and twice Dick Gephardt refused to answer. So, before Democrats get in a high dungeon, they've had this moment for themselves before. But, my point about it is obscured the things that he succeeded in doing that.
