False. When Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, he tried to overturn the election results to stay in power. For example:
Trump demanded courts to throw out millions of legal votes, he pressured election officials to “find” enough votes for him to win, he pressured the Vice President to reject certifying the election and certify fraudulent electors instead, he stoked a violent insurrection to stop the election from being certified, and he pardoned thousands of January 6 rioters convicted of seditious acts.
Trump Created the Myth that the Election Was Rigged
- Trump was repeatedly informed by his own DOJ, DHS, campaign staff, and state officials that there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
- Despite no evidence, he continued publicly claiming the election was stolen.
See the myth “The 2020 Election Was Rigged” for detailed evidence.
Trump Demanded Courts to Throw Out Millions of Legal Votes
- Trump and allies filed more than 60 lawsuits challenging election results.
- Nearly all were dismissed or rejected for lack of credible evidence.
- Judges (including Trump appointees) explicitly stated his claims were unsupported.
- Zero cases established coordinated fraud capable of altering any state outcome.
Trump Pressured Election Officials To “Find” Enough Votes For Him To Win
- Trump personally pressured state officials to overturn certified results.
- Example (Georgia): In a private phone call, Trump asked Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” the exact number needed to flip the state. NPR
- An audio recording of this private conversation confirms direct pressure.
- Trump also pressured officials in Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to alter certified results.
Trump’s Legal Team Submitted Fraudulent Electors to Congress
When state officials refused to overturn the results, Trump’s legal team submitted fake elector slates. Using a loophole in the Electoral Count Act, they tried to create ambiguity over which votes Congress should count, aiming to block certification of the legitimate electors and allow Republican lawmakers to choose the winner.
- Individuals falsely claimed to be “duly elected” electors.
- Forged elector certificates were sent to Congress and the National Archives.
- Trump’s lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Kenneth Chesebro drafted memos explaining how to use fake electors to block certification. PolitiFact +1
- Texts/emails show participants referred to themselves as “fake electors,” acknowledging their certificates were fraudulent. The Washington Post
Trump Pressured the Vice President to Reject The Real Electors
The fake elector scheme required Vice President Mike Pence to reject or delay certification on January 6, 2021.
- Trump repeatedly pressured Pence; Pence refused, citing it was against the constitution. The American Presidency Project
- Trump publicly attacked Pence via Twitter during the riot for not rejecting the legitimate electors, escalating anger among rioters.
- The rioters, reading Trump’s tweet in a megaphone, began chanting “Hang Mike Pence” and constructing nooses.
Trump Stoked A Violent Insurrection to Stop The Election From Being Certified
On January 6, 2021, Trump knowingly encouraged a violent crowd to disrupt the constitutional transfer of power, ignored multiple warnings, and failed to act to stop the ensuing violence, resulting in a temporary halt of certification and a direct threat to democracy.
The goal was to halt the proceedings long enough to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the real electors. This would trigger a loophole in the Electoral Count Act, ultimately allowing Republican lawmakers to choose the winner of the election.
Trump’s Speech:
- Trump urged supporters to come on the day Congress certified the election, saying it was going to be “wild.”
- Trump was informed that some supporters were armed. He said the crowd “wasn’t here to hurt me.”
- Trump continued to falsely claim the election was stolen from his supporters.
- Trump repeatedly used forms of the word “fight” — about 20 times — while urging supporters to contest the election outcome.
- Trump told the crowd “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
- Trump directed the crowd “we’re going to walk down to the Capitol.”
- FBI investigations used cellphone GPS data to confirm that many attendees at the speech later participated in the Capitol breach.
- Multiple witnesses — including White House staff, family members, and members of Congress — urged Trump to call off the violence while lawmakers were barricaded and rioters were actively searching to harm them.
- Trump delayed deploying the National Guard until hours after rioters breached the Capitol and at least one person had been killed.
- According to witnesses, Trump watched events unfold on TV while continuing to repeat stolen election claims on social media fueling rioters.
- The rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” and constructed nooses after Trump’s tweets condemning how Pence had “failed” them during the proceeding.
- Trump could have called the D.C. National Guard at any point during the 3+ hour insurrection, but accounts show he did not.
Donald J. Trump: You know what I see, Kevin? I see people who are more upset about the election than you are. They like Trump more than you do
Trump Called for the Termination of the U.S. Constitution.
Two years after losing the election, Trump called for the "termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution" on Truth Social. As of today, the post is still there.
Trump’s attempt to remain in power illustrates Trump’s lack of respect for the constitution, democratic norms and the truth. The Constitution is a sacred document. Asserting false claims or enabling violence simply because you don't like the result of a democratic election threatens the very foundation of the United States.