Trump is trying to be a "victim" rather than a "loser". In a press conference at the Republican National Committee on the 12th, Trump, who is being investigated for fraud in connection with the 2020 presidential election, claimed that he was the victim of a "witch hunt" and "election interference" without providing any evidence. At the press conference, which was expected to be a "big announcement" by some media outlets, Trump did not present any new evidence to support his claims of election fraud. Instead, he repeatedly claimed that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" and that he was the victim of a "rigged" election. He also attacked the media, saying that they were ignoring the "real issues" and instead focusing on "trivial" matters. The press conference was seen as an attempt by Trump to shift the focus away from his own legal troubles and onto the perceived injustices of the election. Despite his claims of being a victim, Trump's lawyers have suffered a series of defeats in court, with many of his lawsuits being dismissed or rejected due to lack of evidence. The former president's attempts to portray himself as a victim have been met with skepticism by many, who see it as a transparent attempt to avoid accountability for his actions. Trump's allies have also been accused of trying to intimidate election officials and undermine the democratic process. The 2020 presidential election was widely praised as being free and fair, with numerous international observers and fact-checkers finding no evidence of widespread fraud. Despite this, Trump has continued to push false claims of election fraud, which have been widely debunked by experts and fact-checkers. The issue is expected to continue to be a source of controversy, with Trump's allies vowing to continue pushing his claims of election fraud. In the face of this, the Biden administration has emphasized the importance of protecting the democratic process and ensuring the integrity of elections. The administration has also highlighted the need for lawmakers to work together to address the issue of election security and prevent similar attempts to undermine the democratic process in the future.

President Donald Trump sought to become a 'victim' rather than a 'loser' in his recent nationwide address, according to an internal White House briefing. Information officials associated with the National Security Agency urged the release of their names in connection to the alleged election interference information. President Trump, however, was reportedly excited about the information.

The spokesperson's office, including Chief of Staff Susan Walsh, intervened to stop the release of the officials' names, citing the potential for conspiracy theories and real violence. The White House personnel convinced the president to refrain from releasing the information. The dispute was not just about the content of the speech but between the NSA chief and the White House chief of staff.

Ultimately, Trump did not release the names of the information officials. However, he publicly claimed that foreign powers, including China, attempted to interfere in the 2020 election. He did not provide any evidence to support this assertion. This moment marked the beginning of the most crucial question for the upcoming midterms in November.

Will Trump and the Republican Party be prepared to accept the results of the election, even if they lose? Recent developments, as reported by Benningfield, suggest that this question is being taken seriously. While individual incidents can be explained, collectively they paint a different picture. These measures could result in a different picture altogether.

For Trump, this election is not a typical midterm evaluation. If the Democratic Party gains control of the House, new committee chairmen, impeachment requests, document requests, and public hearings could follow. The controversies surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, Trump's business dealings, the second term's power exercise, retaliation against political opponents, and potential military action could all be subject to congressional investigation.

This could ultimately lead to impeachment. Trump has not tried to hide this fact. In early 2023, he told Republican lawmakers that they must win the midterms or risk impeachment by the Democratic Party. So, if there is no assurance that the House will remain under Republican control, what will Trump prepare? We have already seen how Trump handled defeat in the 2020 election.

He did not suddenly launch a "fake election" argument after the votes were counted. Instead, he attacked mail-in voting, eroded trust in the electoral system, and prepared for his supporters to question the legitimacy of the election results from the start. These are not isolated incidents but the repetition of a pattern. Trump will need more than just a determination to prove that the election was rigged to prepare for defeat.

That's because he has already prepared the political justification for questioning the legitimacy of the election if he loses. If the election is held and the results are not trusted, the president could be seen as a victim of a manipulated system. On the other hand, if he wins, he could be seen as a puppet controlled by foreign powers.

This shift in perception could turn the defeated president into a victim of the system. Alternatively, the winner could be accused of stealing the election. In this way, the election becomes not a mechanism to end conflict, but the source of new conflict. Trump's decision to deploy the military to polling stations or seize ballot boxes to prevent a democratic crisis is not the most realistic approach.

A more practical approach would be to create a political environment where the election results are not questioned. Attack the election management bodies, question the competence of state governments, and repeatedly emphasize the possibility of illegal mail-in voting and foreign interference. And constantly imply to the nation: "There may be problems with this election."

The more troubling aspect is that, unlike 2020, the Trump administration in 2026 has more loyal figures in key positions, such as the Department of Justice and the National Security Agency. They may have learned from the experiences of 2020 and 2021 and decided to take control of the institutions that previously prevented them. However, we cannot assume that nothing will happen based on the current situation.

The real question is whether the Trump administration is deliberately creating conditions where they do not have to accept the election results as legitimate. The most dangerous moment may come after the election results are released, when the House majority determines the outcome and late vote counts in key battleground states complicate the situation.

Imagine a scenario where the House majority is decided by a narrow margin, late vote counts in crucial states are delayed, and foreign cyber interference or illegal mail-in voting scandals emerge. At this point, the president might declare, "We cannot trust the election results." This moment could be more dangerous than the election day itself.

Therefore, we should closely observe not just individual incidents but patterns. The rise of loyalists, movements surrounding the election management bodies, pressure on the state government, doubts about mail-in voting, and foreign interference claims should all be examined to see if they are moving in the same direction. Information disclosure, legal challenges from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, and the president's language regarding the election results are critical to watch.

"We will win" is campaign rhetoric. But when a statement like "we lose because the election is rigged" starts appearing, the tone changes. At that point, the president may be preparing for a political battle after losing the election rather than a victory. The question we must ask is whether the Trump administration will accept the election results as legitimate if they lose. It is not clear at this point.