Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
Trump tells NBC he will accept a midterm loss “if the elections are honest”
In a February 4, 2026 Oval Office interview, Trump also named three cities as “unbelievably corrupt” and said federal controls might replace state controls.
What happened
Asked whether he would trust the midterm results if Republicans lose control of Congress, Trump answered, “I will, if the elections are honest.” NBC’s Tom Llamas put the question in an Oval Office interview on February 4, 2026.
Earlier in the interview Trump said, “if we need to put in federal controls as opposed to state controls,” and that if elections cannot be done honestly and timely, “something else has to happen.” Asked about his remarks on “nationalizing” elections, he said he had not said that. He named Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta as “unbelievably corrupt.”
Trump also said he believed there had been “cheating” in 2024 but that “it was too big to rig.” The remark came in the same exchange as his answer on accepting a loss, and it did not change the condition he attached to it.
Who benefited
Trump leaves himself a condition: he accepts a loss only if he judges the elections honest. The judgment is his, and the cities he has already named as “unbelievably corrupt” are the ones where he could say they were not.
Who wanted something
Trump wants the option of federal controls over elections that he says states cannot run honestly or on time. He named Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta, and said that if they cannot do it properly, something else has to happen.
Who lost out
Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta, which run their own elections, were named as “unbelievably corrupt,” and told that federal controls could replace theirs. Their voters and election officials are the ones the remark is aimed at.
Why it matters
Trump’s pledge to accept a midterm loss comes with a condition, and with a stated alternative: “something else has to happen.” The answer was given in the Oval Office, on camera, in answer to a direct question.
Sources NBC News (interview transcript) (primary)Mediaite (with NBC video)The Independent