‘This scares the hell out of me’: Americans shocked as White House refuses to say Trump will leave office if he loses

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is facing backlash for refusing to say President Donald Trump would accept defeat in November.

McEnany was asked on Wednesday whether Trump would accept the results of the 2020 election if he was defeated by his rival Joe Biden, but she refused to directly answer the question.

"The president has always said he'll see what happens and make a determination in the aftermath,” the press secretary said.

Former GOP congressman Joe Walsh said the statement was “tantamount to an act of war by a President against his own country.”

“This is so scary,” said Michael McFaul, who served as the United States Ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014.

Many other people also expressed their concern on Twitter: