45th President, primary promoter of election fraud claims
Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden by over 7 million popular votes and 74 Electoral College votes. Despite this, Trump refused to concede and launched an unprecedented campaign to overturn the results, promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud. His own Attorney General, Bill Barr, stated the DOJ found no evidence of fraud sufficient to change the outcome. Trump was indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith for his efforts to overturn the election and by Fulton County DA Fani Willis in a RICO case related to the fake electors scheme.
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Background
Donald Trump and The Big Lie: An Overview
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, served from 2017 to 2021 and became a central figure in the controversy surrounding the 2020 presidential election. After losing to Joe Biden by over 7 million popular votes and 74 Electoral College votes, Trump refused to concede, launching a sustained campaign to challenge the results. This effort, often referred to as "The Big Lie," centers on his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, which have been widely disputed and debunked by courts, election officials, and his own administration. Trump's actions following the election, including his role in the events leading to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, have resulted in legal consequences, including federal and state indictments.
Role in Promoting Election Fraud Claims
Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 election results marked an unprecedented challenge to democratic norms in the United States. He repeatedly alleged, without evidence, that the election was "stolen" through voter fraud, particularly in key swing states. These claims were dismissed by numerous courts—over 60 lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies were rejected due to lack of evidence. Even his Attorney General at the time, William Barr, publicly stated that the Department of Justice found no evidence of fraud significant enough to alter the election outcome. Despite this, Trump continued to promote these allegations through public statements, rallies, and social media, galvanizing a significant portion of his supporter base. On January 6, 2021, during a rally near the Capitol, Trump urged his supporters to "fight like hell" and march to the Capitol, an event directly linked to the subsequent violent attack on the building. He was later impeached by the House of Representatives for incitement of insurrection, though acquitted by the Senate.
Key Relationships and Legal Challenges
Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election involved a network of associates and legal advisors. He pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject certified Electoral College votes on January 6, a request Pence refused, citing lack of constitutional authority. Trump also worked with figures like Kenneth Chesebro, who designed a fake electors scheme in states Biden won, and John Eastman, who authored a memo arguing Pence could reject electors—a theory widely rejected by legal scholars. Other associates, including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis, played roles in filing lawsuits and spreading fraud claims, many of which were dismissed or later recanted. According to sources, Trump considered appointing Jeffrey Clark as Acting Attorney General to push false claims of election irregularities, a plan thwarted by threats of mass resignations at the Department of Justice.
Legally, Trump faces significant repercussions. Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted him for his role in efforts to overturn the election and the January 6 attack, while Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged him and 18 co-defendants in a RICO case in Georgia related to the fake electors scheme. Additionally, Trump's claims were amplified by outlets like Fox News, which, despite internal doubts, broadcasted the allegations to retain viewership, as revealed in subsequent lawsuits. These connections and legal battles underscore Trump's central role in perpetuating The Big Lie, a narrative that continues to influence political discourse and legal proceedings.
Strongest Evidence
Jack Smith
Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump on four federal counts related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including conspiracy to defraud the United States. Smith resigned after Trump won the 2024 election.
Fani Willis
DA Fani Willis brought a RICO case against Trump and 18 co-defendants in Fulton County, Georgia, for their efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results.
Brad Raffensperger
Trump called Raffensperger on January 2, 2021, pressuring him to "find 11,780 votes." Raffensperger refused, and the recorded call became key evidence in Trump's Georgia indictment.
Mark Meadows
As White House Chief of Staff, Meadows coordinated Trump's pressure campaigns to overturn the election, including participating in the Raffensperger phone call. He was indicted in the Georgia RICO case.
Sidney Powell
Trump initially embraced Sidney Powell as part of his legal team. Powell filed "Kraken" lawsuits claiming massive voter fraud through voting machines — all of which were dismissed. Trump later distanced himself from Powell after her claims became too extreme even for his team.
Connections (23)
Trump considered appointing Jeffrey Clark as Acting Attorney General so Clark could send a letter to Georgia falsely claiming the DOJ had found election irregularities. The scheme was only stopped when DOJ leadership threatened mass resignations.
Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump on four federal counts related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including conspiracy to defraud the United States. Smith resigned after Trump won the 2024 election.
DA Fani Willis brought a RICO case against Trump and 18 co-defendants in Fulton County, Georgia, for their efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results.
Trump called Raffensperger on January 2, 2021, pressuring him to "find 11,780 votes." Raffensperger refused, and the recorded call became key evidence in Trump's Georgia indictment.
As White House Chief of Staff, Meadows coordinated Trump's pressure campaigns to overturn the election, including participating in the Raffensperger phone call. He was indicted in the Georgia RICO case.
Chesebro designed the fake electors scheme for Trump, creating fraudulent slates of electors in states Biden won. He pleaded guilty in the Georgia RICO case.
Trump initially embraced Sidney Powell as part of his legal team. Powell filed "Kraken" lawsuits claiming massive voter fraud through voting machines — all of which were dismissed. Trump later distanced himself from Powell after her claims became too extreme even for his team.
Lindell was one of the most prolific promoters of Trump's election fraud claims, spending millions of his own money on symposiums and films promoting debunked voting machine conspiracies.
Byrne funded election fraud investigations and attended a contentious December 2020 White House meeting where seizing voting machines was discussed.
Lin Wood filed election lawsuits on behalf of pro-Trump interests, including challenges in Georgia. All lawsuits were dismissed for lack of evidence.
Fox News amplified Trump's false election fraud claims despite internal communications showing hosts knew the claims were untrue. The network continued airing the claims to retain viewers who were leaving for more right-wing outlets.
Trump publicly and privately pressured Pence to reject certified Electoral College votes on January 6. Pence refused, stating he had no constitutional authority to do so. Trump's pressure continued even as the Capitol was under attack.
Jenna Ellis served as a senior legal advisor on Trump's post-election team. She later pleaded guilty in the Georgia RICO case and admitted she "failed in her duties as a lawyer."
OAN was one of the most aggressive promoters of Trump's election fraud claims, airing conspiracy theories that even Fox News declined to broadcast. Trump publicly praised OAN for its coverage.
Trump retained Giuliani as his personal attorney to lead legal challenges to the 2020 election results. Giuliani filed numerous lawsuits and held press conferences promoting debunked fraud claims, all of which failed in court.
As Trump's own Attorney General, Barr publicly stated the DOJ found no evidence of widespread fraud sufficient to change the election outcome — directly contradicting Trump's central claim. Barr resigned shortly after.
As a White House advisor, Navarro authored the debunked "Navarro Report" which collected previously disproven fraud claims. He was convicted of contempt of Congress.
Trump made the now-infamous phone call to Georgia's Secretary of State, pressuring him to "find" exactly enough votes to overturn Biden's victory. The call was recorded and became central evidence in his indictment.
Trump embraced and amplified the Stop the Steal movement, promoting the false claim that the election was stolen. He spoke at the January 6 rally organized by Stop the Steal allies.
Eastman authored a memo for Trump arguing Vice President Pence could reject certified electors — a theory rejected by virtually all constitutional scholars. Eastman was disbarred for his role in the scheme.
True the Vote's debunked "2000 Mules" film was promoted by Trump at screenings. The film's methodology was rejected by experts, and its distributor later apologized and pulled the film.
Alex Jones used Infowars to amplify Trump's false election fraud claims to his millions of followers, contributing to the radicalization that culminated in January 6.
Trump held a rally near the Capitol on January 6 and told supporters to "fight like hell" and march to the Capitol. He was impeached for incitement and indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith for his role in the events leading to the attack.
Mutual Connections
Entities that are connected to Donald Trump and also to each other.
