As conspiracy theories go, Donald Trump’s are whoppers.

According to the Republican presidential nominee, the U.S. election has been rigged against him, there’s already mass voter fraud, and his opponent should not even be allowed to run because she’s a criminal who should be in jail.

Can it get worse? Disturbingly, yes.

In the third and thankfully last presidential debate on Wednesday night, Trump threatened one of the very pillars of American democracy by saying he might not accept the voters’ decision on Nov. 8. For that one reason alone — never mind the countless others he has given with his scorched-earth campaign tactics — American voters should reject him.

His comments undermine one of the most basic American traditions, the peaceful transition of power from one president to another, regardless of ideological differences or personal rancour. It forms an unbroken chain back to the founding of the republic, through war and all manner of domestic crisis.

It’s not up for debate, and it hasn’t been questioned by a major party candidate in living memory. But you wouldn’t have known that listening to Trump on Wednesday.

Asked if he would accept the results of the election, as his running mate Mike Pence and his own daughter, Ivanka, had earlier said he would, Trump replied: “I will look at it at the time.” Pressed again, he made the outcome of the election sound like the surprise verdict of one of his own reality TV shows: “I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense.”

Americans – and the world – don’t need “suspense” as they count down to the election in 18 days. They need certainty, assurance that the voters’ judgment will be respected as it has been every four years for more than two centuries.

On Thursday, Trump tried to clarify his position but, if anything, made it worse. He said he’ll accept the outcome on Nov. 8 “if I win.” Which, of course, misses the entire point.

Trump has been setting up the argument that the election is rigged against him since the summer, and as he sinks ever lower in the polls he has been doubling down on that claim.

Sadly, his sore-loser comments aren’t just pathetic. They’re potentially dangerous.

He risks fomenting unrest with his charge that the election is rigged and he won’t necessarily accept the result. He’s already asked his supporters to watch for voter fraud on election day, leading to concern that Clinton voters may be too intimidated to show up.

Now there are fears about what some of his supporters may do if he doesn’t win, never mind how difficult it will be for the new president to unify the country again.

In three debates, Trump has moved from being seen as an object of curiosity, to a sexual predator, to a candidate whose comments Hillary Clinton described as “horrifying.”

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That they were. As such they were met with justified outrage not just by Clinton, Democrats and the media, but by many Republicans as well. After all, by calling into question election results, Trump also undermines the validity of his GOP colleagues’ campaigns.

It’s high time for those still clinging to his candidacy to cut him loose and save what’s left of their party and their honour.

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