EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump 'Preparing to Challenge Midterm Election Results' if Republicans Suffer Major Defeat
Donald Trump is allegedly preparing to deny an impending midterm election defeat.
Oct. 21 2026, Updated 1:37 p.m. ET
Donald Trump is feared to be poised to refuse to recognize a Republican defeat in November's midterm elections, with growing fears the president may again encourage supporters to challenge an unfavorable result in scenes reminiscent of the January 6 Capitol riot.
Sources told RadarOnline.com the 80-year-old MAGA leader faces mounting scrutiny over his willingness to accept the outcome of the congressional elections, which will determine control of the House and Senate.
70% of Americans Doubt Trump Would Accept Election Defeat
Donald Trump faces fears he would reject a Republican midterm defeat.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey conducted between October 9 and 13 found seven in 10 Americans doubted Trump would acknowledge defeat, despite widespread confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.
The findings have renewed concerns about the possibility of another confrontation over election results.
The skepticism extends beyond Democratic voters, with most independents and more than a third of Republicans expressing doubts about Trump's willingness to accept an unfavorable outcome.
Trump has repeatedly questioned election integrity, including through unsupported allegations concerning the 2016 and 2020 presidential contests.
'I Will If The Elections Are Honest'
Trump said he would accept results if elections were 'honest.'
Asked by NBC News in February whether he would accept the results if Republicans lost control of Congress, Trump said: "I will if the elections are honest."
His conditional response has attracted renewed attention amid concerns about how the administration might react if Democrats regain control of the House.
The president has previously advocated expanding federal authority over elections, despite constitutional arrangements placing responsibility for administering voting primarily with individual states.
He has also expressed regret about not deploying military personnel to seize voting machines following his 2020 defeat.
Local election officials have reportedly begun considering precautions against potential federal interference, including attempts to take possession of ballots.
Voters Fear Another January 6 Capitol Showdown
Trump had expressed regret over not seizing voting machines after the 2020 election.
Nevertheless, the recent survey found 60 percent of Americans believed the midterms would be conducted fairly, including 70 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans.
Another 65 percent expressed confidence votes would be counted accurately.
Jonnie Smith, 69, a Tennessee human resources manager who generally votes Republican but opposes Trump, questioned whether the president could accept losing.
Smith told The Washington Post: "He has to throw dirt on it if it doesn't come out his way, period."
Gary Podbielski, 67, a retired technology manager near Houston, also predicted a confrontation.
Podbielski said: "He'll fight it."
However, Patty Nelson, 58, an Arkansas executive assistant who previously supported Trump, defended the reliability of American elections.
Nelson said: "I always do feel that the elections are fair."
Jennifer Fenderson, 41, a Florida nurse who supported Trump in 2024, expressed greater uncertainty about whether individual ballots mattered.
Democrats Could Retake House as Trump Faces Backlash
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The source feared Trump could urge supporters to return to Capitol Hill.
The poll also suggested Democrats could be positioned to regain the House, with 35 percent predicting a Democratic majority against 16 percent expecting Republicans to retain control.
Another 28 percent considered the contest too close to call.
The nationwide survey questioned 2,545 adults and carried a margin of error of two percentage points.
A Republican source told us: "If Republicans suffer a heavy defeat in November, there is every reason to believe Trump will challenge the result. He could well encourage his supporters to descend on Capitol Hill again, just like after the 2020 election. The concern is that he would rather provoke another political crisis than acknowledge that voters have rejected his party.
"Nobody should assume Trump will simply accept losing Congress. He has shown that he is prepared to question the legitimacy of elections when the results go against him.
"The nightmare scenario is a repeat of January 6, with Trump telling millions of supporters that the election has been stolen, encouraging them to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill.
"Trump has spent years convincing his supporters that the only legitimate election is one his side wins. If Democrats take the House, he could immediately claim the result was fraudulent and turn the defeat into another confrontation over the legitimacy of American democracy.
"A Democratic victory in the midterms could trigger weeks of accusations about vote rigging, spark legal challenges and prompt demands for investigations from Trump's side.
"The biggest fear is that Trump goes further and publicly summons his supporters to Washington, creating another confrontation around the Capitol. That would put enormous pressure on Republican leaders to decide whether to stand behind him or defend the election result."
