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March 1, 2024: Your daily reminder of the danger Trump and his cronies pose to democracy and human rights
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Trump's 2016 Election Lie: The Years-Long Operation to Attack Our Fair and Free Elections
When: 2016 election
Background
Amidst the final stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump's unprecedented lies of a "rigged" election rattled the foundations of American democracy. This assertion, made just three weeks before Election Day, stood as a stark departure from historical norms and was carried out to undermine public trust in the electoral process and democratic institutions. Trump's lies of widespread voter fraud and a deliberate conspiracy echoed longstanding tactics employed by Russian intelligence services, who have historically sought to sow discord and undermine confidence in democratic institutions around the globe through similar operations.
Over a decade ago, Trump began his disinformation operation aimed at attacking and delegitimizing the US electoral process. Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump continuously repeated lies about election rigging, using various platforms and rallies to sow doubt in the minds of voters. His persistent rhetoric aimed to lay the groundwork for delegitimizing the election results, should he lose. By repetitively hammering on the theme of a "rigged" system, Trump aimed to preemptively sow doubt about the integrity of the electoral process, positioning himself not only to contest the outcome if defeated but also to instill the belief among Americans that they were robbed of their vote. This tactic of eroding trust in the democratic process marked an unprecedented departure from norms in modern American politics. It served as one of the early indicators of Trump's authoritarian tendencies, signaling his willingness to destabilize and delegitimize the electoral system as part of his attack on U.S. democracy.
Here is what happened:
During the 2016 election, Trump lied that the election was rigged against him (should he lose), claiming a conspiracy between the news media and the Democratic Party.
There was no evidence to support Trump’s claim of widespread election fraud yet he repeated this lie often.
Trump began laying the groundwork for delegitimizing the US electoral process over a decade ago, and in 2012 called the election a “total sham,’ among other things.
In 2016, Republican leaders and election officials pushed back against Trump's allegations. Fast forward to today, the Republican Party has become corrupted and beholden to Trump and the allure of power.
Why It Matters…
The transformation of the Republican Party and their loyalty to Trump highlights the corrosive influence of authoritarian tendencies on democratic institutions. As Trump's grip on the party tightens, dissent becomes increasingly rare, signaling a dangerous erosion of checks and balances within the political system.
Trump’s attacks on US democracy underscore the broader challenge of safeguarding democratic institutions against external interference and internal erosion of trust. Russia's persistent operations to subvert democratic processes, through tactics such as election interference and the spread of disinformation, compound the national security threat. By sowing doubt and discord, both foreign adversaries and domestic actors seeking to delegitimize the electoral process pose a grave threat to the stability and integrity of American democracy. Trump’s decade-long rhetoric led to his attempt to violently overthrow the 2020 election using his supporters who have been subjected to years of indoctrination. Once again, we find ourselves grappling with this troubling cycle, wherein democratic norms face threats from both foreign and domestic sources, putting the bedrock of our political system at risk. Each of us must play a role in safeguarding our democracy, ensuring its resilience in the face of these challenges.