On the evening of Election Day on November 3, 2020, Trump announced victory. However, over the next four days, Biden pulled ahead in several battleground states until his victory was announced on November 7. The Trump campaign launched a series of lawsuits alleging mass fraud across the nation.
The Claims
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lead lawyer, held a press conference at Four Seasons to highlight claims of fraud and their upcoming legal battles. The primary assertion was that fraud likely took place because of an influx of mail-in ballot votes, and a supposed lack of access by the Republican poll watchers for oversight in vote counting. Giuliani claimed that there had also been thousands of votes from deceased that were improperly counted.
The conference became notable for its location at Four Seasons Landscaping, and for taking place during the announcement that Biden had won. Situated next to a sex shop and crematorium, it was suspected that the location was booked in error, and was intended to be at a Four Seasons hotel. At the time the press conference was taking place, Trump was playing golf. It was then that Biden was announced the winner:
In another press conference on November 19, Giuliani reiterated his claims about fraud and the lack of adequate oversight from poll watchers, referencing the film My Cousin Vinny to make his case.
During the conference, Sidney Powell, another senior Trump lawyer, announced suits in Georgia and Michigan against Dominion, which provided substantial voting infrastructure across the country. Powell also alleged a global communist conspiracy behind the fraud. She was soon after dismissed from the legal team.
The lawsuits asserted a variety of claims. Examples included:
- Mail-in ballots that hadn’t been accurately signed and marked on the outside
- Mail-in ballots not in their original envelopes
- Non-uniform curing, or fixing of ballot mistakes, being unconstitutional
- State guidances on mail-in voting
- Multiple votes from the same individuals
- More votes than the voting population of the corresponding district
- Higher rates of machines rejections for Republican ballots
- “Over votes” from the use of Sharpies and its bleed through the paper
The Results
Trump’s legal team sought to delay or prevent certification of election results in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. Certification is the legal process by which states officially submit their results, with deadlines defined by state law.
None of the suits were allowed to prevent certification. The one victory the Trump team achieved – the exclusion of votes in Pennsylvania which were too few to have any influence – was reversed by the state’s Supreme Court. In another instance, the Trump legal team spent $3 million for a recount in a Wisconsin county, only for more Biden votes to be discovered.
By the time a month had passed from the election, with 10 cases still pending, the Trump campaign had won zero out of 32 suits. While the campaign pledged more, the judges’ opinions on many of the dismissed suits – including by judges appointing by Trump – gave clear pictures of how little basis the suits had. One Michigan judge deemed the provided proof as “inadmissible hearsay within hearsay.” A Georgia judge said another suit “would breed confusion and disenfranchisement.” A Pennsylvania judge said of yet another suit, “This claim, like Frankenstein’s Monster, has been haphazardly stitched together.”
Transition & Certification
For three weeks after the election, the administration refused to begin the transition process to the President-elect. However, on November 24, head of the General Services Administration Emily W. Murphy confirmed that she would approve the formal transition process, freeing federal money and allowing security briefings for the Biden team.
On December 1, Attorney General Bill Barr said if there was fraud, there wasn’t enough to change the results of the election. This marked a notable shift for Barr, who had provided Trump legal cover through the Mueller investigation and impeachment over Ukrainian quid-pro-quo. Others who had contradicted Trump’s claims of voter fraud, including the head of the organization responsible for election security, were fired.
By the time a month had passed from the election, all of the battleground states in question had been certified.
The Tweetstorm
Over the course of the month following the election, Trump tweeted dozens of unfounded claims about mass fraud, all flagged by Twitter. While the following are examples of claims about victory, poll observers, fake news, rigging, and individual states, each were reiterated by Trump several times on Twitter.
The Claims
Business Insider – Dominion Voting Systems tore into Sidney Powell’s lawsuit accusing it of a vast conspiracy, calling it ‘baseless, senseless, physically impossible’
Politico – Trump campaign cuts Sidney Powell from president’s legal team
The Results
Business Insider – Trump spent $3 million for a vote recount in Wisconsin’s largest county to support his baseless claim of ballot fraud but lost by even more than initially thought
The New York Times – Trump Is Not Doing Well With His Election Lawsuits. Here’s a Rundown.
Business Insider – Trump and his allies have won zero out at least 32 lawsuits they’ve filed since Election Day
The New York Times – Over 30 Trump Campaign Lawsuits Have Failed. Some Rulings Are Scathing.
Transition & Certification
Associated Press – Disputing Trump, Barr says no widespread election fraud
Associated Press – Trump fires agency head who vouched for 2020 vote security
The New York Times – Trump Administration Approves Start of Formal Transition to Biden
CNN – How election certification works and why it matters more than ever this year
NBC News – Trump administration officially authorizes Biden transition
The Washington Post – Wisconsin and Arizona make it official as Trump fails to stop vote certification in all six states where he contested his defeat
Business Insider – All major battleground states in the 2020 election officially certify their results, cementing Biden’s victory in the presidential race
The Twitterstorm
Trump Twitter Archive V2
