In a Wednesday press conference,President Trump said he would not commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election, citing without evidence his belief that the election results will be invalid due to voter fraud.

When asked if he would commit to a peaceful transfer, Trump responded, “We’re going to have to see what happens.”

Trump’s opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, responded by saying, “The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”

Like many others, we at The Daily Eastern News find these comments ridiculous and alarming.

Having a sitting American president openly question the election process and threatening to remain in office even if he loses is a shocking thing to hear.

The peaceful transition between presidents has been a seminal part of American politics since the nation’ creation.

But perhaps these comments should not be surprising considering where they came from.

Since before he even took office, Trump has shown a callous disregard for the American electoral process, saying in a debate in Oct. 2016 that he would consider denying the results of the election if he lost.

But his Trump’s words have a tremendous impact, and although he will likely accept the results in November, the same cannot be said for his most fanatical supporters.

He has them believing that the election system is corrupt and rigged, and their possible reaction should he lose might be frightening.

Hopefully this will turn into a rare case where Trump does the right thing and walks back his words, but we are not expecting him to do that.