At the end of the first presidential debate, moderator Lester Holt asked a curious question of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: “One of you will not win this election. Are you willing to accept the outcome as the will of the voters?”

The question was clearly aimed at Trump, and its underlying premise is that Trump may pose a threat to the peaceful transfer of power that is one of the most important features of stable democratic regimes. On that night, Trump vowed to support Clinton if she wins. But before and since that debate, he has raised suspicions about the integrity of America’s ballot, perhaps setting himself up for saying that his expected electoral loss was the result of a rigged election. My colleague Damon Linker has called this sort of talk Trump’s “greatest offense against democracy,” a not-uncommon position among the commentariat.

But let’s remember that Trump, despite his edgy nationalist rhetoric, is an undisciplined oaf. He can barely stick to a scripted line, let alone some kind of faux-principled opposition to the legitimacy of the American government. One expects that he will try a triumphant return to reality TV when his presidential hopes are dashed.