Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Mike Pence on Thursday backed Donald Trump’s refusal to say he’d accept the outcome of the presidential election, despite having earlier promised that Trump would accept any outcome. Speaking in Nevada, Pence echoed his running mate’s concerns over voter fraud and election “rigging,” a claim that Trump has become more insistent about after several sexual-assault allegations against him emerged. Trump’s comments about accepting the election results only if he wins sparked controversy in the third and final presidential debate Wednesday, with many saying the Republican nominee seemed to lack a firm understanding of democracy. But Pence didn’t seem to see anything wrong with Trump’s remarks, saying instead that he reserves the right to contest the outcome if he loses. “As Donald Trump said earlier today in Ohio, of course we will accept a clear election result, but we also reserve the right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of questionable results,” Pence told the Nevada crowd. “We will follow and abide by the rules and traditions of many candidates who have gone before to uphold the integrity of the vote,” he said. Pence, who initially reacted to the release of a damning 2005 video in which Trump was heard making crude remarks about women by saying he’d pray for Trump’s family, has now doubled down on his support for the Republican nominee and begun echoing Trump’s claims about election fraud. “Voter fraud is real in pockets and places around the country,” he said Wednesday.