Trump hedges when asked whether he would transfer power peacefully

[September 24, 2020]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 election to Democratic rival Joe Biden.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 23, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

"We're going to have to see what happens," Trump, a Republican, told reporters at the White House when asked if he would commit to a peaceful transfer.

The president has sought repeatedly to cast doubt, preemptively, on the legitimacy of the election because of his concerns about mail-in voting, which Democrats have encouraged during the pandemic.

"The ballots are a disaster," Trump said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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