MIAMI: President Barack Obama eviscerated would-be successor Donald Trump Thursday for threatening not to concede if he loses next month's election, calling for a thumping Democratic victory to repudiate his "dangerous" claims of a rigged vote.
Trump cast the United States into uncharted political waters by suggesting he may not recognize the result of the November 8 presidential election and could launch a legal challenge if Hillary Clinton wins.
"I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election... if I win," the Republican nominee told cheering supporters in Delaware, Ohio.
"Of course I will accept a clear election result, but I will also reserve my right to contest and file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result," he said dangling his concession.
The bombastic 70-year-old is trailing badly in the polls. But Democrats are showing no quarter.
"When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people's minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy," Obama said.
"When you suggest rigging or fraud without a shred of evidence, when last night at the debate, Trump becomes the first major party nominee in American history to suggest that he will not concede despite losing... that is not a joking matter."
The unusually harsh comments suggest the White House believes this deeply rancorous election is not just about defeating Trump or winning back control of Congress, but snuffing out his populist credo.
The reality TV star has defied political convention and brought far-right policies and conspiracies to the Republican mainstream.
The final 2016 presidential debate on Wednesday was dominated by Trump's refusal to say he would recognize a victory by Democrat Clinton, 68, who he accuses of conspiring to rig the vote against him.
"There is no way to rig an election in a country this big," Obama fired back. "You are much likelier to get struck by lightning than have somebody next to you commit voter fraud."
His wife Michelle encouraged voters not to fall trap to the Trump campaign's rigging allegations.
"They are trying to convince you that your vote doesn't matter," she told a Phoenix rally. "That the outcome has already been determined, and you shouldn't even bother to make your voice heard."
"They are trying to take away your hope."
Although Trump looks set to lose the election, his campaign sent into a tailspin by a stream of allegations of sexual misconduct, he is likely to garner as many as 50 million votes.
How his supporters react is now foremost in the minds of officials in the White House and beyond.
It is unclear what impact Trump's stance will have on the election itself.
"Calling an election rigged doesn't just undermine foundational democratic norms and principles, it also reduces voter engagement," said Adam Seth Levine, a professor of government at Cornell University.
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