Former U.S. President Donald Trump asserted on Saturday, March 2, that a significant portion of the nation believes that the outcome of the 2020 presidential election was influenced by electoral interference. Speaking during a visit to Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination, Trump reiterated his claim that the previous election was rigged.
This statement comes ahead of Super Tuesday, where primary votes will be cast in 15 states, including North Carolina. Trump raised concerns about the legal accusations he faces in Georgia and Washington, DC, regarding his alleged efforts to manipulate the 2020 election outcome.
He remarked, “Do you ever notice they go after the people that want to find out where the cheating was? And by the way, 82% of the country understands that it was a rigged election. You can’t have a country with that. A poll came out, 82 percent,” as reported by the Washington Examiner.
Although Trump referenced a survey indicating widespread belief in election rigging, details about the survey’s methodology and timeframe remain undisclosed. However, the Public Religion Research Institute released findings from its American Values Survey in November 2021, which included insights into QAnon, conspiracy theories, and extremism.
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“On one hand, this should feel like January 2020,” said Claire Wardle, co-director of Brown University’s Information Futures Lab, who studies misinformation and elections, referring to the presidential contenders four years ago. “But after a pandemic, an insurrection and a hardening of belief that the election was stolen, as well as congressional investigations into those of us who work in this field, it feels utterly different.”
“Repairing the information environment around the election involves more than just ‘tackling disinformation,'” Wardle said. “And the political violence and aftermath of January 6 showed us what’s at stake.”
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Trump’s delegate count is 244 out of the 1,215 required to secure the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Following recent victories at the Republican Party convention in Michigan and the Missouri and Idaho caucuses, Trump’s path to the nomination appears favorable. If he maintains his lead over former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, he will likely face President Joe Biden in the general election.
Critics on the internet swiftly responded to Trump’s assertion, questioning the validity of his claims. One user sarcastically remarked, “What’s the name of this condition?” while another dismissed Trump’s statement as a “cool story, never happened.”
Some skeptics pointed out the lack of consensus within the Republican Party, with one stating, “Not even 82% of Republicans believe that.” Overall, Trump’s claim has sparked debate and skepticism among online commentators.
As the presidential election approaches, experts warn that a convergence of events at home and abroad, on traditional and social media — and amid an environment of rising authoritarianism, deep distrust, and political and social unrest — makes the dangers from propaganda, falsehoods and conspiracy theories more dire than ever.
The U.S. presidential election comes during a historic year, with billions of people voting in other elections in more than 50 countries, including Europe, India, Mexico, and South Africa. And it comes at a time of ideal circumstances for disinformation and the people who spread it.
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