--- title: Donald Trump: 'The Election's Going to Be Rigged' description: Donald Trump previewed a possible excuse for a general election loss Monday, saying he thinks it is going to be "rigged." canonical: https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-01T20:37:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:17.375Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump: 'The Election's Going to Be Rigged' og:description: Donald Trump previewed a possible excuse for a general election loss Monday, saying he thinks it is going to be "rigged." og:url: https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91da2d83828e58ef/6988a0af524fc07384df9007/trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4924 og:image:height: 2770 og:image:alt: Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump: 'The Election's Going to Be Rigged' twitter:description: Donald Trump previewed a possible excuse for a general election loss Monday, saying he thinks it is going to be "rigged." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91da2d83828e58ef/6988a0af524fc07384df9007/trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump: 'The Election's Going to Be Rigged' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a8c36e01-62f4-4d2f-be7e-52f80aeca835&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a8c36e01-62f4-4d2f-be7e-52f80aeca835&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=a8c36e01-62f4-4d2f-be7e-52f80aeca835&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Donald Trump Accepts The Republican Presidential Nomination [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump Accepts The Republican Presidential Nomination](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XaKW9HPR.m3u8) (3:51)  _Published 2016-07-22. Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, promising to restore “law and order” to the United States and the world._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Aug 1, 2016 8:37 PM UTC  Donald Trump speaks during a town hall event, on Aug. 1, 2016, in Columbus, OH. Donald Trump speaks during a town hall event, on Aug. 1, 2016, in Columbus, OH. Evan Vucci—AP  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Aug 1, 2016 8:37 PM UTC [Donald Trump](http://time.com/4432816/donald-trump-khizr-ghazala-khan/) previewed a possible excuse for a general election loss Monday, saying he thinks it is going to be “rigged.” “I’m afraid the election’s going to be rigged, I have to be honest,” Trump said at a rally in Columbus, Ohio Monday afternoon, after talking about Bernie Sanders and the Democratic primary. The “rigged system” drumbeat is one Trump hit repeatedly during the primary season, first [against the Republican establishment](http://time.com/4295578/republican-party-fires-back-at-trumps-rigged-remarks/?iid=sr-link3) and, more recently, about the Democratic Party, to try to win over Sanders supporters who felt their candidate did not have a fair shake against Hillary Clinton. (Sanders backers grew even more concerned after [leaked Democratic National Committee ](http://time.com/4421045/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-chair-resign-convention/)emails showed leadership favoring Clinton.) By turning now to say he believes the general election could also be unfairly favorable to Clinton, Trump is laying the groundwork to fuel his supporters’ fury if he loses on Nov. 8. With less than 100 days until election day, Trump said, “Can you believe we’re almost there?” Monday’s Ohio appearance was Trump’s first since a feud erupted between him and the Khans, the family of a fallen Muslim soldier. Trump did not reference the controversy in his speech. ## Transcript I humbly and gratefully accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States. [ APPLAUSE ] We will be a country of generosity and warmth, but we will also Be a country of law and order. [ APPLAUSE ] The problems we face now. Poverty and violence at home. War and destruction abroad will last only as long as we continue relying on the same politicians who created them in the first place. Nobody knows the system better than me. [ APPLAUSE ] Which is why I, alone, can fix it. [ APPLAUSE ] In this cause, I am proud to have At my side, the next vice president of the United States, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana. An attack on law enforcement is an attack on all Americans. In this race For the White House, I am the Law and Order Candidate. [ APPLAUSE ] We are going to defeat the barbarians of Isis- [ APPLAUSE ] And we're going to defeat them fast. As your president, I will do everything in my power To protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology believe me. [ APPLAUSE ] And I have to say as a Republican It is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said, thank you. We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism. Until such time as proven vetting mechanism Have been put in place, we don't want them in our country. We are going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration. To stop the gangs and the violence. We are going to appoint justices of the United States Supreme Court who will uphold our laws and our constitution. An amendment pushed by Lyndon Johnson many years ago threatens religious institutions. With the loss of their tax exempt status. If they openly advocate their political views. Their voice has been taken away. I am going to work very hard to repeal that language, and to protect free speech for all Americans. [ APPLAUSE ] I make this promise. We will make America strong again. [ APPLAUSE ] We will make America proud again. [ APPLAUSE ] We will make America safe again. [ APPLAUSE ] And we will America great again. God bless you, and good night, I love you. [ APPLAUSE ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/"},"headline":"Donald Trump: 'The Election's Going to Be Rigged'","datePublished":"2016-08-01T20:37:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:55:17.375Z","description":"\"I'm afraid the election's going to be rigged, I have to be honest\"","url":"https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/","keywords":["Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91da2d83828e58ef/6988a0af524fc07384df9007/trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt91da2d83828e58ef/6988a0af524fc07384df9007/trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Donald Trump","caption":"Donald Trump","creditText":"Evan Vucci—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/","name":"Donald Trump: 'The Election's Going to Be Rigged'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Donald Trump Accepts The Republican Presidential Nomination","description":"Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, promising to restore “law and order” to the United States and the world.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/XaKW9HPR/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-07-22T04:35:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XaKW9HPR.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/","duration":"PT3M51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4433984/donald-trump-general-election-rigged/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```