United States presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Sunday called her opponent Donald Trump a “sore loser” as a new poll by ABC News gave her a 12-point lead ahead of the businessman. The Democratic Party nominee said her Republican opponent’s refusal to commit to accepting the results of the November 8 election was a “direct threat to our [the US'] democracy”, Reuters reported.

Clinton said Trump’s refusal to commit was akin to similar remarks made by leaders in non-democratic countries. “The peaceful transfer of power is one of the things that makes America America,” she said at a rally in North Carolina. She also urged her supporters to participate in early voting from November 5. While Trump on October 20 said he would “totally accept” the results of “this great and historic presidential election” if he won, the Republican candidate continues to flip-flop on the issue, refusing to commit to a stance.

The ABC News poll put 50% of likely voters casting their ballot in favour of Clinton, compared with 38% in favour of Trump. ABC said the poll results represented the highest support for Clinton and the lowest for Trump during the presidential campaign so far, with the Democratic politician’s numbers being boosted by Trump’s poor treatment of women as well as his refusal to accept election results. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll showed the former US secretary of state leading by 4 percentage points.

Both nominees have directly attacked each other and their policies, with Trump also accusing the US media of covering his campaign unfairly to help Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. On Saturday, the businessman said if he was elected, he would sue around a dozen women who have accused him of sexual harassment . The assault allegations have rapidly come to the fore after a video surfaced showing him boasting about forcing himself on women.