Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth, spoke out against Donald Trump after he made statements suggesting the presidential election was rigged, and that he might not accept the results.
Kirk says Donald Trump's refusal to say he'll accept the outcome of election is another sign the GOP presidential candidate is "unprepared and unfit to be commander in chief." He noted the U.S. has peacefully transitioned power from one president to the next "since the end of George Washington's presidency." Kirk says he’ll accept the results of his own race against Duckworth.
Meanwhile, Duckworth said Donald Trump is a “sore loser” when he claims the election system is rigged. She made the remark at a campaign stop in Peoria. A military veteran, Duckworth said Trump's comments undermine democracy.
“And I didn’t spend 23 years in the military defending our constitution to see it weakened. I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with Mr. Trump. I think that he thinks he’s going to lose the election, so he’s coming up with all kinds of excuses."
Duckworth is challenging Kirk for his U.S. Senate seat.
- Cass Herrington and The Associated Press contributed to this report.