For many observers, the most shocking moment of the night was Donald Trump refusing to offer a clear statement that he would accept the results of the election.

Asked by the moderator, Chris Wallace, if he would say “that you will absolutely accept the result of the selection,” Trump refused to answer and digressed into complaints common in right-wing media about non-existent voter fraud.

“But sir, there is a tradition in this country,” Wallace interjected, “that no matter how hard fought a campaign is, that at the end of the campaign, that the loser concedes to the winner — not saying that you are necessarily going to be the you loser or the winner — but that the loser concedes to the winner and that the country comes together in part for the good of the country. Are you saying that you are not prepared now to commit to that principle?”

Trump answered: “What I’m saying is, I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense, okay?”

Hillary Clinton then jumped in, saying, “that is horrifying.”

The horror was shared across the political spectrum on social networks, even prompting rebukes from Republican Senator Jeff Flake and Laura Ingraham, a dedicated Trump supporter.

Political reporters suggested that Trump dodging the question would be the headline in many newspapers. Indeed the Wall Street Journal quickly obliged.

A short time later, Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, sought to defuse the threat by saying, “Donald Trump will accept the results of the election because Donald Trump is going to win the election.”