Charles Krauthammer: Trump's Answer About Accepting Election Results Was “Political Suicide,” “A Terrible Mistake”

From Fox News' October 19 post-debate coverage:

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CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: As to the candidates, Trump had a really good night, but here the consensus is right. He blew it up by a totally wrong answer on accepting the results. In some sense, I almost admire him for it. This was not a gaffe where you say something off the cuff and it's what you think, but it's wrong. You know that he had been coached on this. You know that his vice president had said off course, we'll accept the result and his campaign manager and his daughter. And you know that he's convinced that this is something he wants to take a stand on. And the calculation -- this is political suicide. Because what was his task tonight? His task tonight was to stop the slide. The slide had to do with people who are grudgingly going over to Clinton. Who don't want to, who have held out for a year. But for the last three weeks said I can't have Trump. This was his opportunity to show them. They're not going to change their views on Clinton, but if they can change their views on Trump, to make him less toxic and acceptable as president, and less radical -- yes, they want a change agent. They think the country is on the wrong track. But they don't want a radical who will challenge the foundations of the republic. Yes, you criticize conditions, you're going to change Washington, et cetera, but you don't challenge the legitimacy of an election and hold up the prospect of actual nonacceptance. And when he did that, I think it was a terrible mistake. 

Previously

NBC’s Nicolle Wallace: Trump Put The Nail In His Own Coffin By Refusing To Say He’d Accept Election Results

CNN's Jake Tapper: Trump's Suggestion “He Might Not Accept The Results Of The Election” Was “Staggering”

CBS' Bob Schieffer Excoriates Trump For Refusing To Accept Election Results: “This Is Not The Way We Do It In The United States Of America”