A “big lie” needs a small air force working behind the scenes to divert, obfuscate and defend the absurd claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
Trump’s acolytes in this effort worked in Washington and around the country, in government and the media, to perpetuate the fraud. They made up false stories, spread dubious claims and swarmed anyone who suggested that truth mattered in the land of make-believe.
The plotters behind the “big lie”
A circle of longtime Trump loyalists and eager recruits plotted between Election Day and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to block certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
John Eastman, a conservative California lawyer who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, outlined a plan for Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election results and pressured him to do so.
Roger Stone, a GOP operative since the days of Richard M. Nixon, came up with “Stop the Steal” in 2016 and worked to repurpose the movement following Trump’s 2020 defeat.
Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO turned right-wing activist, spent $30 million trying to prove fraud in the 2020 elections and to promote various “election integrity” efforts.
Lawyer Cleta Mitchell, an early promoter on social media of imaginary voter fraud, set out to recruit “Stop the Steal” activists to monitor election offices and work at polling places ahead of the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Mark Meadows, Trump’s last White House chief of staff, assured concerned Republicans that Trump would eventually drop his claims on a second term. Meanwhile, he privately encouraged election deniers to keep fighting. He also fielded various election conspiracies from Trump activists.
Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, messaged lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election, urging them to overturn Biden’s victory.
Media
Some media figures helped undermine public confidence in the 2020 election results and divert attention from the events of Jan. 6.
Fox News stars Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham promoted fake voter fraud stories and falsely suggested that left-wing antifa members organized the Jan. 6 insurrection while downplaying the involvement of Trump supporters.
Rupert Murdoch
owns and runs News Corp. and Fox News. In March 2021, Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News for defamation, arguing Dominion was harmed by the network’s decision to perpetuate baseless stories about the election.Dinesh D’Souza wrongly claimed on Fox News that police used “massive amounts of force” on “unarmed Trump supporters” on Jan. 6. He also created “2000 Mules,” a film purporting to show evidence that the 2020 election was rigged; its claims have been debunked..
Stephen K. Bannon, a White House strategist, used his podcast to radicalize many of Trump’s supporters and later refused to testify before the House committee investigating Jan 6. He was convicted of contempt of Congress in July.
Election deniers in Congress
Some members of Congress who repeated the “big lie” have continued to advocate for tighter limits on voting in future elections.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) were among the most
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) replaced Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as the House GOP Conference chair in part because of Cheney’s adamant denial of Trump’s “big lie” – and because of Stefanik’s embrace of it.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) falsely claimed that Trump won the 2020 election in March. He allegedly sought a presidential pardon for fellow House members who voted to overturn the election on Jan 6.
Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) inaccurately said at a Trump rally in January: “Was there fraud? Absolutely. Was it enough to overturn the election? Absolutely.”
‘Big Lie’ candidates
Some Republican candidates pulled much of their popularity from denying the 2020 election results.
Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor, organized a post-election public hearing on voter fraud that Trump phoned into. Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for Arizona governor, called it “disqualifying” and “sickening” that a rival in the state’s GOP primary wouldn’t say the election was stolen – even though it wasn’t.
Mehmet Oz, television personality turned politician, has refrained from calling Biden’s victory “rigged” or “stolen,” but he has without evidence cast doubt on the credibility of absentee ballots and voter IDs.
J.D. Vance, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, shifted to the right to boost his chances, calling Biden a “fake president.”
Politicians obstructing voting
Three members of Congress – two Democrats and a Republican – played a leading role in sinking negotiations when Democrats tried to modernize the rules to reform federal voting rights legislation in response to Republican states curtailing voter access.
Democrat Sens. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) joined all 50 Republicans to oppose a rules change that would’ve allowed for federal voting rights legislation to pass with 51 votes instead of the usual 60.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) organized Republican senators to oppose various voting rights bills that would’ve established minimum early voting requirements, vote by mail and automatic voter registration.
States undermining the electoral system
Two Republican governors took the lead on imposing voting restrictions. Legislatures in 18 states have passed 34 laws making voting harder since the start of 2021. Many of these states were pivotal to Biden’s victory in 2020.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed laws making it harder to vote by mail, restricting the use of drop boxes and implementing stricter voter ID requirements.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has banned drive-through voting, limited mail-in voting and invigorated partisan poll-watchers. Thousands of mail-in ballots in Texas were rejected ahead of the March 1 primary after the rules were enacted.
Some state legislatures had made it harder to vote. For instance, Georgia, imposed new ID requirements for mail-in ballots, limited the use of drop boxes and allowed electors to challenge the eligibility of voters; Iowa shortened the state’s early voting period and closed the polls an hour early on Election Day. Arizona was sued for a new law requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
Ahead of Jan. 6, Republicans in seven swing states sent dummy Trump electors to Congress to delay certification of Biden’s victory in an effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump’s allies are working to install “big lie” sympathizers in key election posts. These election board infiltrators are becoming election canvassing board members, local voting judges and inspectors, poll watchers and county clerks, often in swing states.
(About this story: Written by Claire Hao. Design and development by Yan Wu. Design editing by Chris Rukan. Studio assistance by Kyleigh Waters.)
14 comments:
The big lie was the Russian Collusion that cost taxpayers millions. And what is this fear of Trump? What do you democrats know that I don't? I think that Biden is a liar and a crook but my world does not revolve around him!
Y la local particiant que se escondio enfrente del DA?
Montoya, this is all fake news. I believe everything Trump says. This is all a misunderstanding that is being purported by his enemies. His only thought was to "Make America Great Again." Now his new slogan is "Save America Again." When he becomes President again I plan to offer my daughters, son, and wife to him.
Why can't people understand that he needs supporters like Bannon, Flynn, Lindell, and all those others to help him and us! All these people want to do is lower gas prices and put money into my bank account. Yours too! LOL 😂
If this does not wake you up nothing will. . . Seriously stop insulting everyone who does not support your candidate and go look for someone else.
Donald Trump is a lifetime failure (5 bankruptcies, 5 draft deferments, had someone else take his college exam) who mad ehis way thanks to Russian and German banks.
Son Eric Trump said a year ago that the family sought major loans elsewhere cause American banks would not loan the Trumps money. He is NO billionaire and is now being propped-up by idiots that the commenters here.
Trump is crooked and devious, only out for himself. That has been obvious for 6 years.
facts.
You afraid of being Arkancided, Montoya. Lots of real reports of voter fraud out there. How much are you collecting in rent from Trump to live in your head?
This Trump obsessed blog, LoL! Nobody want to talk about Bidens many accomplishments around here?
Still nothing on the Biden crime family.
Mayra Flores confronts BPUB about rate increases
“I am disappointed that, after three attempts from my office to contact staff at the BPUB, my office has yet to receive a direct response on the justification for these increases or on steps that BPUB has taken to bring awareness to these new rates. Given this, I can only imagine that similar inquiries from concerned residents went unanswered.”
Any type of help is appreciated, calls go unanswered, complains are file in the file 13 folder and if you can do something to correct PUB people (voters) will appreciate your assistance and can go very far...
Its about time an elected official has taken the time to address this run-away agency and hope this can address the lack of accountability in this agency (BPUB).
A LOT MORE IS NEEDED TO REIGN IN THIS AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY, INTERNAL AUDITING AND INVESTIGATIVE CONCERNING TREATMENT TO CUSTOMERS AND THEIR RATES....
I NOW PAY CLOSE TO 1000 DOLLARS AND I HAVE NOT CHANGE THE ELECTRI USAGE, WHY?
European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used and data collected on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.
As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies, and other data collected by Google.
You are responsible for confirming this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third party features, this notice may not work for you. If you include functionality from other providers there may be extra information collected from your users.
Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities.
Trumputo has all the hillbillys and red-necks and cocos by their asses. Purso lambiscones y mamones.
whew!! It took me three days to read this articlem now I forgot what I read.
Save America, from Trump that is.
Trumputo report to sing sing and bring your whole snobbish family. Will happen very soooooooooooooon.....
Good article.
Americans will destroy America from within. Families are also destroyed by their own members.
Hopefully, people that love the USA continue to protect the country and make it stronger and better.
The evil doers almost destroyed the USA with Trump. Shame on them, they forgot about their love for their country.
Post a Comment