Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is calling for Republican candidate Donald Trump to accept the results of the upcoming election, citing his own experience as a losing candidate in the 2008 presidential election.
"I didn't like the outcome of the 2008 election," McCain said in a statement, according to the Washington Examiner. "But I had a duty to concede, and I did so without reluctance. A concession isn't just an exercise in graciousness. It is an act of respect for the will of the American people, a respect that is every American leader's first responsibility."
McCain, who's currently seeking a sixth term in the Senate, has been a vocal critic of Trump recently due to the release of footage from 2005 showing Trump making lewd remarks about women.
The former GOP nominee noted that there are "irregularities in our elections, sometimes even fraud," but that the outcome of the election has never been compromised.
"I do know that in every previous election, the loser congratulates the winner and calls them, 'my president,'" McCain said in the statement. "That's not just the Republican way or the Democratic way. It's the American way. This election must not be any different."
He did not name Trump as the target of his letter, but the candidate has made repeated accusations of election fraud, and would not pledge to accept the results of the election during the final presidential debate on Wednesday. On Thursday, Trump said that he would accept the results of the election if he wins, according to CNN.
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