The history of Donald Trump's election conspiracy theories

How the 2024 Republican nominee has consistently stoked baseless fears of a stolen election

A man holds a "stop the steal" sign as rioters take over the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021
There have been countless investigations, audits, recounts and analyses of these claims and no credible evidence has ever been produced in support of them
(Image credit: Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches its conclusion, polls suggest that the outcome might be among the closest in American history. That could be bad news for the health of the political system since distrust in American election integrity is higher than at any other point since researchers began measuring it. That is largely because of a litany of false claims about the 2020 election made by former President Donald Trump, this year's Republican nominee. Surveys suggest that thanks to this effort, a majority of Republicans now believe that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, which heightens the risk of post-election turmoil if there is indeed a photo-finish conclusion to this year's race.

The origins of the theories

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.