Trump hedges when asked whether he would transfer power peacefully

U.S. President Trump holds news conference at the White House in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 election to Democratic rival Joe Biden.

"We're going to have to see what happens," Trump, a Republican, told reporters at the White House when asked if he would commit to a peaceful transfer.

The president has sought repeatedly to cast doubt, preemptively, on the legitimacy of the election because of his concerns about mail-in voting, which Democrats have encouraged during the pandemic.

"The ballots are a disaster," Trump said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Himani Sarkar)