Clinton won't rule out challenging legitimacy of 2016 election

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Democrat Hillary Clinton refused to rule out challenging the legitimacy of last year’s presidential election in an interview released Monday afternoon, though she said such a move would be unprecedented and legally questionable.

“I don't know if there's any legal constitutional way to do that. I think you can raise questions,” Clinton told NPR’s Terry Gross during an extended interview on “Fresh Air,” before pivoting to criticism of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 race.

Gross quickly returned to her initial question, asking if Clinton would “completely rule out questioning the legitimacy of this election if we learn that the Russian interference in the election is even deeper than we know now?”

“No. I would not,” Clinton said.

Gross followed up again, replying “you’re not going to rule it out.” "No, I wouldn’t rule it out," Clinton said.

But the former secretary of state said she does not believe that there is any path for such a challenge and that academics who argue one exists are not on “strong ground” legally. “I just don't think we have a mechanism” for a challenge of the 2016 election’s legitimacy, she said.

In a statement emailed to POLITICO, a spokesman for Clinton sought to clarify the former secretary of state's remarks, noting that she has not disputed the results of last year's election.

"Secretary Clinton has said repeatedly the results of the election are over but we have to learn what happened," Glen Caplin, the Clinton spokesman, said the statement. "I would hope anyone in America concerned about the integrity of our democracy would feel the same way if we got there. But we're not. Right now Bob Mueller and several congressional committees are investigating to what extent the Russians impacted our election and who exactly helped them do so."

While Clinton now won't rule out challenging the legitimacy of last year’s election, she criticized Trump for a similar stance during the 2016 campaign’s home stretch.

Since Trump’s surprise victory last November, the president and his allies have claimed Democrats' objection to the president’s agenda and support for ongoing Russia investigations show an unwillingness by the political left to accept the election’s results.