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Trump refused to commit to transfer power if he loses — Cornyn and some other Texas allies say don’t worry, he will

Cruz insists that Biden is the only candidate who wouldn’t accept defeat, as Democrats condemn Trump for resisting basic duty to honor the outcome of an election.

Updated at 2:55 p.m. with fresh Trump comments.

WASHINGTON — A day after President Donald Trump refused to promise a peaceful handover of power if he loses the election, a handful of Texas Republicans offered assurance on Thursday that whatever he says, the will of the voters will be respected.

Trump’s comment when asked if he’ll transfer power peacefully if he loses — “We’re going to have to see what happens” — drew broad condemnation from Democrats who noted that no other U.S. president, or challenger, has ever defied the will of the people in an election or even hinted that they might.

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“We want to make sure the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be,” Trump added Thursday afternoon, digging in on his warning that the growing use of mail-in ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic means the results cannot be trusted.

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“Trump has been empowered by the deafening silence or craven approval of elected Republican enablers,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, casting the election as a “choice between democracy and tyranny.... Every elected Republican who does not immediately denounce his threat to our sacred democracy is no longer fit to serve.”

Sen. John Cornyn was among the majority of Republicans who avoided directly taking Trump to task, saying "no” when asked if Trump’s refusal was appropriate but ducking the issue of what the GOP would do if Trump refuses to leave office even if he loses, telling CNN’s Manu Raju that “I’m not going to answer a hypothetical.”

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“Of course Senator Cornyn supports a peaceful transfer of power,” said spokesman Drew Brandewie.

Sen. Ted Cruz defended Trump, asserting during a Judiciary Committee meeting that the only threat of post-election chaos comes from Democrats, given that “we have already seen anger and rioting and burning and violence in the streets leading up to this election."

“I believe there will be a peaceful transition of power. If Joe Biden wins the election, Joe Biden will be sworn in as president,” because Trump would hand over power voluntarily, Cruz said, adding, "The candidate whose supporters are saying under no circumstances will he accept defeat and he will challenge it, he will litigate and he will dispute the election -- that candidate is Joe Biden.”

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The Texas senators’ stances contrasted sharply with the stern rebuke from Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2012 and the only Republican senator to vote to remove Trump at his impeachment trial: “Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus. Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.”

Two freshmen Republicans who served in uniform offered some of toughest words.

“The peaceful transition of power is the very cornerstone of our representative democracy," said Rep. Van Taylor of Plano. "As a Marine, I risked my life to defend our Constitution and my very first act as a Congressman was to swear an oath to defend our Constitution. We will secure the integrity of every vote cast and the winner of the Presidential Election will be peacefully sworn in on January 20, 2021.”

Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Houston, a former Navy SEAL, also chided the president, though he asserted that Democrats' warnings about Trump’s intentions are overblown.

“There will be a peaceful transition of, or continuation of, power. There must be. I think those inflaming worries that there won’t be are being disingenuous, and I think the President should not further amplify those concerns with unclear statements,” Crenshaw wrote on Twitter.

Other Texas Republicans, such as Rep. John Carter of Round Rock, downplayed the uproar.

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“The peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of our democracy. For centuries, political opponents have put aside animosity for the greater good of the country and this election will be no different. The winner on November 3rd will be inaugurated on January 20th, following the precedent and ideals since America’s beginning,” Carter said through an aide.

And freshman Rep. Lance Gooden of Terrell insisted the crisis is manufactured, because “there won’t be ANY transition of power when @realDonaldTrump WINS in November #FourMoreYears.”

Trump aides tried to tamp down the controversy without contradicting their boss.

“If every ballot is counted, and if it’s a fair election, we have a history of a peaceful transition of power,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News. “It’s really all about making sure that every vote counts, but that only one vote counts.”

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“The president will accept the results of a free and fair election,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a combative briefing, insisting as Cruz did that only Democrats have threatened not to accept the results if their side loses.

Democrats aghast

Democrats denounced both the president and the reluctance by his allies to push back.

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“President Trump, you are not a dictator. And America will not permit you to be one,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate minority leader.

Rep. Al Green, a Houston Democrat who pushed for Trump’s impeachment long before the House actually took that step last fall, said Trump’s repeated signals about staying in office beyond his lawful term suggest that he respects "the bullet instead of the ballot. This is unhealthy for our democratic institutions, democracy, and for our republic.... At some point, you have to start to take this president seriously when he continues to say these things.”

Dallas Rep. Colin Allred, a freshman Democrat facing Genevieve Collins in November, called it “extremely alarming that the president would not commit to this basic tenet” of democracy.

Houston Rep. Sylvia Garcia, one of the House managers at Trump’s impeachment trial, called his comments “disturbing" and said that any “anyone who would try to subvert” the transfer of power after an election “is a clear and present danger to our constitutional democracy.”

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In Austin, state Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, challenged Gov. Greg Abbott and others to repudiate Trump’s comments and commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses.

“All elected officials, regardless of party, must denounce the president’s remarks. You either side with the president or you side with the Constitution," Turner said.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, likewise challenged Republicans to denounce Trump. “The peaceful transfer of power is not a partisan issue. This is unacceptable and my colleagues across the aisle must speak out,” he wrote on Twitter.

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Few Republicans were jumping at the opportunity, however.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, like Cornyn and most other GOP leaders, avoided direct repudiation of Trump even as they offered assurance that democracy will be respected. He did not say how they would ensure that Trump vacates the White House if he won’t leave voluntarily.

“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th,” McConnell tweeted. “There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792.”

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Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, another freshman Republican facing a stiff challenge – he faces former state Sen. Wendy Davis in one of the state’s costliest and most contentious congressional races – shrugged aside Trump’s comments.

“There will be a peaceful transition of power," Roy said through a spokesman, "but the media will still only ask questions of the GOP. The media will not demand or ask questions of Democrats as to if they stand with Speaker Pelosi’s refusal to defend cops or calling Republicans ‘enemies of the state.’”

Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin, former homeland security chairman and now the senior Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that "our country’s democracy sets the example for freedom-loving people around the world. For more than two centuries our past presidents have peacefully transitioned in and out of office. This next year will be no different. Whoever the people elect this November will be peacefully inaugurated on January 20, 2021.”

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Julie Oliver, the Democrat challenging Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, in another hotly contested race, tweeted that “Donald Trump doesn’t decide whether or not he leaves office. We do.”

Williams' prediction was nonchalant and unspecific: “There will be a peaceful transfer of power.'

At the Texas Democratic Party, chairman Gilberto Hinojosa asserted that Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transition of power shows that "he’s interested in holding onto power at all cost. Every Texas Republican should denounce Trump’s position....We’re in a battle for democracy. We must elect Democrats to save our state and save our country.”