"The peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart," Hillary Clinton said. | AP Photo Clinton accuses Trump of 'threatening our democracy'

CLEVELAND — Hillary Clinton on Friday accused Donald Trump of “threatening our democracy” by refusing to say he would accept the election results, and suggested he was behaving like a third world dictator.

Trump unnerved both Democrats and Republicans on the debate stage Wednesday night when he would not commit to conceding the election, should Clinton triumph on Nov. 8. Instead, the reality TV star said he would keep America "in suspense."


Clinton and her campaign have seized on the remarks as part of a closing argument that seeks to cast Trump as an unacceptable choice for president who flouts core American values.

"Make no mistake, by doing that, he is threatening our democracy," Clinton told a capacity crowd of 1,600 in the gymnasium here at Cuyahoga Community College, in her first public event since the debate. "I have lost an election, you don't feel very good the next day, do you? But we know in our country the difference between leadership and dictatorship, right?"

She added that "the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart. It is how we hold our country together no matter who's in charge."

Drawing on her experience as the nation’s top diplomat, Clinton seemed to draw comparison between Trump and repressive dictators who “jail their political opponents or execute them or exile them or invalidate elections that they didn’t win. That can never ever happen here.”

She continued, “Whether or not you support me or you support my opponent, together we must support American democracy.”

Barbie Jackson, a 24-year-old student at the college who attended Friday’s rally, said the argument resonated with her. “Why would he say that? It shows that he's not in it for a good cause,” she said, adding, “I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid” if he loses.

Yousef Saba contributed to this report.