Republican Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota pushed back Sunday when asked by NBC host Kristen Welker whether former President Donald Trump had “unequivocally” accepted the results of the 2024 election.

Burgum appeared on “Meet the Press” to discuss Thursday night's first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and President Trump. Welker began by asking Burgum about President Trump's response during the debate to accepting the results of the 2024 election, claiming that President Trump has refused to accept the results of the election “three times.” (RELATED: 'Vote Fraud': The Death of the American Voter | WATCH NOW)

“Let me ask you a question: Should presidential candidate Donald Trump unequivocally accept the results of the election?” Welker asked.

“Kristen, I heard him say Thursday night that he will accept the results of the election if it is free and fair and secure. That's everything that anybody would expect, independent, Democrat or Republican. Something like the North Dakota election, where people don't contest it because it's a secure election. I think that's what we need across the country. I think he answered the question. I think the real question is, if President Trump wins in the fall, and it looks like he will, will Joe Biden and the Democrats accept the results of the election?” Burgum countered.

Welker went on to argue that Trump's response contained “reservations” that undermined people's “faith in our democracy.” But Burgum highlighted Democrats' backlash against the election results in 2000 and 2016.

“You know, he has repeated reservations in his answers that undermine people's faith in a free and fair democracy. Isn't he undermining people's faith in democracy and in democracy itself by casting doubt on the fairness of the 2020 election, which by the way, has gone down as one of the fairest elections in the history of the United States?” Welker asked.

“I think — I have to reject that entire premise, because you don't have to be that old in life to know that in 2000 Democrats contested the election, and they had the right to do so, and it came down to one county, 'Hung Chad', Broward County, Florida. In 2016, yes, Hillary Clinton conceded the election, but shortly thereafter, you know, a smear campaign began that continues to this day about whether the results of the '16 election were legitimate. So both parties have done this. If we want to move forward as a country, we have to have an election that both parties can agree on,” Burgum said.

Republicans have voiced concerns about free and fair elections since 2020, and Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump has pledged that the party will take steps to ensure the security of ballots. Earlier this month, Lara Trump announced the RNC's plans to deploy more than 100,000 poll watchers and 500 lawyers in preparation for the election.