Former President Donald Trump is causing alarm among his critics as he continues to push the baseless claim that Vice President Kamala Harris's ascent to become the Democratic nominee is somehow unconstitutional. This has raised worries that he may be laying the groundwork to contest an electoral defeat, similar to his actions in the 2020 election.

Trump has repeatedly sought to portray Harris replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee as nefarious, even going as far as likening it to a "coup." In recent days, he has insisted that her nomination may be unconstitutional because she did not top the ballot in the primary process.

Many have speculated that Trump's rhetoric is aimed at casting doubt on the results of November's election, should Harris emerge as the victor. Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton expressed concern, stating, "We know one thing for sure. Trump never loses. And so if he's not the winner of 2024, it must be because he was treated unfairly, yet again."

President Biden, along with other Democrats and some Republican Trump critics, believes that Trump's remarks are an attempt to sow doubt and potentially throw the electoral process into chaos if he does not prevail. Furthermore, Biden announced on July 21 that he would not seek reelection, and Democrats swiftly rallied behind Harris, who has now been officially certified as the party's nominee following delegate voting.

Trump, who was leading Biden in the polls and seemed poised for victory in November, has repeatedly claimed that Biden was forced out and called it a "coup." Recently, he has raised questions about the constitutionality of Democrats replacing Biden with Harris, especially as recent polls show Harris closing in on him.

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump asserted that Biden's presidency was "Unconstitutionally STOLEN from him." During a press conference, when asked to elaborate on the alleged unconstitutionality, Trump pointed to Harris's lack of support in the Democratic primary, noting that she was the first candidate to drop out in the 2020 race.

David Axelrod, a former senior adviser in the Obama White House, took to social media to suggest that Trump's comments were meant to lay the groundwork for rejecting election results if he fears a potential loss. While some Republicans expressed concerns in July about replacing Biden on the ballot, legal experts believe that any such effort is unlikely to succeed in the courts.

Despite this, an Ohio man who supports Trump filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Harris from replacing Biden on the ballot. However, the Ohio secretary of state's office clarified that parties have until September 1 to nominate their candidates, leaving room for the legal process to play out.

Sonia Gipson Rankin, a professor of law at the University of New Mexico, explained that Trump's argument alludes to the idea that voters who cast their ballots for Biden in the primary are not having their voices heard. She pointed out that Biden was never formally backed by Democratic delegates, and his name did not appear on any primary ballots.

Trump's rhetoric is closely scrutinized in light of his actions following the 2020 election. He spent much of that year casting doubt on the reliability of mail-in and absentee ballots, ultimately culminating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Trump's claims of election fraud led to criminal charges, and his repeated assertions of an "honest" election in 2024 have left many skeptical.

In his first sit-down interview since announcing he would not seek reelection, President Biden expressed doubt about a peaceful transfer of power if Trump were to lose. Biden said, "If Trump wins, no, I'm not confident at all. I mean if Trump loses, I'm not confident at all. He means what he says. We don't take him seriously. He means it."

As the 2024 election cycle unfolds, Trump's claims and statements will continue to be closely monitored, with concerns growing over his potential refusal to accept election results.