Donald Trump's 'Rigged Election' Claims Raise Historical Alarms

Related Link How presidential candidates in the past have expressed confidence in our elections 

As Donald Trump's campaign falters, his warnings that the presidential contest will be rigged have become a focus of his pitch to voters. 

Historians say Trump's sustained effort to call the process into question has no close parallel in past elections. And some are increasingly worried that his claims — for which he's offered no real evidence — could leave many of his supporters unwilling to accept the election results, potentially triggering violence and dangerously undermining faith in American democracy. 

Day after day — at rallies, in interviews and on Twitter — Trump and several top backers have hammered the message that a victory for Hillary Clinton would be illegitimate. Trump has frequently suggested that widespread voter fraud will swing the election, and he has urged his supporters to closely monitor the voting process.