The Presidential Election Was Legitimate. Conspiracies Are Not.

Debunking the right’s most viral claims of fraud.

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In the hours and days since the polls closed on Tuesday, it seems we’ve seen a condensed and intensified version of many of the worst maladies of this low era in American politics. In my last newsletter, I concentrated mainly on a single issue—why the election was much closer than most people (including me!) predicted. As we watched the polling averages crumble in state after state, we witnessed yet another failure in yet another important American institution.

In this newsletter, I’m shifting focus—to the incredible avalanche of misinformation that’s swamping right-wing media and therefore much of Republican America. The misinformation is so prevalent and so toxic that it’s leading to utterly hysterical and dangerous pronouncements from leading public figures.

The president’s press conference yesterday was an appalling collection of conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods. Even stalwart Trump defenders like former senator Rick Santorum pushed back immediately, declaring that “No Republican elected official will stand behind Trump’s statement.”

Yet the president’s rhetoric was matched or exceeded by other influential Republicans. This, for example, was Newt Gingrich sharing many of the same falsehoods, comparing the present moment to the Battle of Gettysburg, and calling for the arrest of election workers:

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  1. Brian Keeney

    Always enjoy your insightful articles. However, since when is the polling system one of our "important American institutions"? Valuable...yes. But I don't think it creates/preserves norms and values like the Supreme Court, civic organizations and the like.

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  2. Michael E

    Trump will not concede, ever, because having made concrete claims of voter fraud without evidence, he backed himself into a corner. No court will find fraud (because there isn't any), so he will be stuck arguing fraud with no factual/legal support. I don't see any scenario which can result in a concession against this backdrop. He'll, as he said, be dragged kicking and screaming from the White House on January 20 or earlier.

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    Bill B

    Maybe it's just my PTSD meeting my TDS and having a really bad date but...

    Given Trump's ability to corrupt every institution he touches what prevents faithless electors from tossing the election to Trump?

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  4. Jaden

    Not directly on topic but FYI. Not a surprise, but one of many upcoming Biden EOs: BREAKING Biden will immediately revoke Trump's executive order banning critical race theory-based training in the executive government upon assuming the presidency. (h/t @fbflyer)

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  5. StoneInstruments

    For everyone who is still convinced there’s lots of fraud, if it was real, why on earth would it only go in one direction? Those of you who argue Philly Supremes act in bad faith may just be shellshocked: Trump and cronies try to cheat at every turn so you just expect that from everyone now. These vague allegations of Dems being untrustworthy cheaters are epically lazy and weak, and stink of sore-loserness. Evidence?

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    Earl King

    Why continue to lie? What is it about The Dispatch they never provide context to their assertions. I concede it is doubtful voting irregularities will change the outcome in the Presidential election where vote totals are too far to overcome. It is doubtful there was significant fraud that was widespread....
    But following will occur, as it has occurred forever.
    I can guarantee several things are a fact. Ballots will go lost or missing...the only question will be was it deliberate? Dead people will have voted. Residents who live in other States will vote illegally. Happens in NY and Florida all the time. Signature scanners will be set to there maximum tolerance in heavily Democrat areas. Some Ballot Harvesters will fill out ballots for voters and submit them.
    There will have been precincts who will have campaign material on hand, signs, hats....there will be election workers who will go over the line. So does any of this matter? Only in tight elections......
    The fact that the Dispatch continues to lie about the existence of these irregularities is mind blowing.
    Our elections are not perfectly secure. We depend on the honesty of partisans to count votes. Greg Gutfeld made an observation...and no I don't think he is a soothsayer or anything other than a Fox News talking head ex comedian.
    His observation was if Democrat election workers feel Donald Trump is the next Hitler....wouldn't they feel justified in doing illegal things to prevent Trumps election? It is the age old question. If you were in a position to kill Hitler, knowing what you know...would you?
    So again, there will be irregularities, likely not enough to overturn a Presidential election....but perhaps a down ballot race for Congress, City Council, Freeholder.....to lie about it simply proves the mendacity of this publication or of Mr. French. I'm not sure which. We have more and more close elections....Reminder, we didn't have a Al Gore Presidency only due to 500 votes. Anybody really believe that someone, hyper-partisan, in a position to count improperly won't do it?

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      wj

      The accusation that The Dispatch staff is lying is absurd and unfounded.

      Their podcasts and articles about elections and voter fraud have been enormously enlightening to me. Tons of context!

      But... if you are really convinced they are lying to you, why are you still a customer? I generally don't pay people to lie to me.

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    2. Jess

      This election was nowhere near as close as 2000. Al Gore had 263 EC votes and Bush had 246 EC votes. Florida, with its 29, was too close to call.

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    3. Eric B

      As you say, voter fraud is going to happen and the question is to what degree. Sarah Isgur as host of The Dispatch podcast was clear that The Dispatch is not suggesting no voter fraud is in play. The general flavor I'm getting from what I've read and what they've said and what others have written elsewhere is that instances of alleged fraud will be investigated and processed as legal matters where appropriate. The natural response to that would be to say the only instances under investigation are those that have been discovered, and that seems logical, and it's also logical to note fraud is available to actors of any affiliation. Further it's logical to suggest that these systems would have generally been made more robust because the pandemic was a warning to governments about the high usage of mail-in ballots.

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    Vlad M.

    I would've preferred Trump to Biden as I don't find him decent and I'm quite put off by Kamala's radicalism. Nothing good will come out of it. The evidence for irregularities or fraud should be sent to the courts and not paraded on Twitter. Trump isn't doing himself any favours with his behaviour. That being, things are as they are and there's probably no going back. The recounts will not yield miraculous results. As for Mark Levin, the man is no longer a constitutional conservative. He's just another man selling his soul for money.

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  8. Bob Simrak

    I don't if it matters in this discussion, but the PA mail-in ballots were weeks late in being mailed.

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    Miriam Tucker

    Thank you.

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  10. Tony Abiera

    Thanks, again, David.

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