Former President Donald Trump made false claims about voting, election fraud, and his loss in the 2020 presidential election during a three-hour interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. Despite evidence to the contrary, Trump continued to insist that he did not lose the election to Democrat Joe Biden. He also falsely asserted that judges did not rule on the merits of his election challenges, when in reality, they did, and he lost more than 50 lawsuits attempting to overturn the results.
Trump and Rogan also discussed the use of paper ballots in elections, with both arguing that voting machines are unreliable. However, the majority of election jurisdictions in the US already use paper ballots, with only Louisiana not using a system with paper ballots or a paper trail. Trump’s claims that mail-in voting was used to cheat in the 2020 election were also debunked, as mail voting was encouraged by both Republicans and Democrats during the pandemic to avoid crowded polls.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims of widespread election fraud, investigations in multiple states found no substantial evidence to support his assertions. Judges ruled against Trump on the merits of his challenges, and a group of Republican-affiliated election lawyers and legal scholars concluded that many of Trump’s lawsuits were dropped before they even reached the merits phase. The 2020 election was found to be free of significant fraud, with isolated cases of voter fraud not reaching the levels needed to sway the outcome of a national election.
Overall, Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election continue to perpetuate a narrative of fraud and conspiracy that has been widely debunked. Despite losing the election, Trump remains adamant in his belief that he was cheated out of victory, despite evidence to the contrary. As the 2024 election approaches, it is important for voters to be aware of the facts surrounding the previous election and to ensure that accurate information is disseminated to combat false narratives.
