Fact Check: Trump Continues to Claim the 2020 Election Was a Total Fraud
What We Know
Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that the 2020 presidential election was marred by widespread fraud. Despite numerous investigations and court rulings that have consistently found no substantial evidence to support these claims, Trump continues to promote the narrative of a fraudulent election. According to a Brookings Institution report, many people still believe the election was flawed, with a significant percentage of Republicans, particularly Trump supporters, maintaining that Biden's victory was illegitimate. A poll indicated that over 50% of New Hampshire Republicans believe the election was fraudulent, including 85% of Trump supporters.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has documented cases of election fraud, reporting 1,465 proven cases over more than a decade, but this number is minuscule compared to the hundreds of millions of votes cast nationwide. For instance, in Georgia, where nearly 9 million votes were cast, no cases of fraud were reported in the 2020 or 2022 elections (Brookings). Similarly, in Arizona, only four cases of fraudulent voting were documented during the 2020 election, despite Biden winning the state by a narrow margin (Brookings).
Analysis
The claims made by Trump regarding election fraud have been widely debunked by various credible sources. For example, the BBC fact-checked several of Trump's main fraud allegations, such as the assertion that more votes were cast than there are registered voters in battleground states. These claims were found to be based on incorrect data and misinterpretations of voter turnout statistics.
Moreover, Trump's legal team faced numerous setbacks in court, with 61 out of 62 lawsuits related to the election being dismissed due to lack of evidence (NPR). This pattern of failure in legal challenges further undermines the credibility of Trump's claims. Additionally, the Reuters report highlights that Trump's assertions have been consistently labeled as false by multiple fact-checking organizations.
The sources cited in this analysis are credible and include established news organizations and research institutions. The Brookings Institution, for instance, is known for its rigorous research and analysis in governance studies. The BBC and Reuters also have strong reputations for journalistic integrity and fact-checking.
Conclusion
The claim that the 2020 election was a total fraud is True in the sense that Trump continues to assert this narrative despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The lack of credible evidence supporting claims of widespread election fraud, combined with the dismissal of numerous lawsuits challenging the election results, indicates that Trump's assertions are not based on factual realities. The ongoing belief in these claims among a significant portion of the Republican base reflects a broader issue of misinformation rather than an accurate representation of the electoral process.
Sources
- False Claims By Attorneys About Trump Election Result (2020-2021)
- Widespread election fraud claims by Republicans don't match the evidence
- US election 2020: Fact-checking Trump team's main fraud claims - BBC
- Timeline: The False Election Fraud Story Trump Told For Months
- Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud
- Trump's false claims debunked: the 2020 election and Jan. 6 riot
- How US election fraud claims changed as Trump won
- Trump's drumbeat of lies about the 2020 election keeps
