Former President Donald Trump has been laying the groundwork to challenge the results of the 2024 election if he loses, similar to his actions after the 2020 election. He has been telling his supporters that the only way he can lose is if Democrats cheat, refusing to commit to accepting the results regardless of the outcome. Trump has been making baseless claims about cheating and fraud, with his campaign and the Republican National Committee filing numerous lawsuits and recruiting volunteers to serve as poll watchers and workers on Election Day.
Trump has made election lies a central theme of his 2024 campaign, warning about fraud and promising retribution against those he sees as obstacles. He has made various claims about non-citizen voting and overseas ballots being opportunities for fraud, despite little evidence to support these claims. Additionally, Trump has raised ominous warnings about Vice President Kamala Harris having access to secret information about the election, without any evidence backing up these claims.
In recent days, Trump has focused his attention on Pennsylvania, a critical state in the election. He has alleged that cheating is already occurring in places like York and Lancaster counties, claiming that thousands of potentially fraudulent voter registration forms and mail-in ballot applications have been discovered. However, officials in these counties have clarified that they are investigating suspect forms and not fraudulent votes, indicating that the system is working as it should.
Trump has also issued threats of severe consequences for individuals engaged in what he deems as “unscrupulous behavior” related to the election. He has warned that those who cheated in the 2020 election will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including facing long prison sentences. Despite Trump’s threats, judges, election officials, and his own former attorney general have all affirmed that there was no widespread cheating in the 2020 election. If elected again, Trump has indicated that he would go after his perceived enemies from within, including appointing a special prosecutor to target President Joe Biden.
Overall, Trump’s strategy for the 2024 election involves sowing doubt and fear about the integrity of the election process. Despite lacking substantial evidence to support his claims of fraud and cheating, Trump continues to rally his supporters around the idea that he is the victim of a rigged system. Democrats are concerned that Trump may refuse to accept the election results if he loses, potentially leading to a contentious and chaotic post-election period similar to what was seen after the 2020 election.
