lost the 2020 election?

Initial results on election day showed states too close to call in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona. As mail-in votes were tallied across the next three days, all eventually were called for Joe Biden, solidifying his victory over Trump.

The final electoral college result were 306-232, exactly the margin Trump won by in 2016.

While Clinton had some 3 million more votes than Trump in 2016, Biden secured nearly 7 million more. Still, polls ahead of the election had indicated that Biden was on track to obtain an even larger victory.

2020 Electoral College results. Wikipedia

Biden announced his victory in a speech on the evening of November 7.

Trump refused to concede, and for the following month, claimed mass fraud while his legal teams filed lawsuits across multiple battleground states, without success.

Wikipedia – 2020 United States presidential election
The New York Times – Biden Wins Presidency, Ending Four Tumultuous Years Under Trump
Associated Press – EXPLAINER: Why AP called the 2020 election for Joe Biden

tried to prematurely claim victory in the 2020 election?

In the late hours of Election Day, Trump claimed victory and announced a series of litigation.

Trump also took to Twitter as ballots were being counted, claiming that the election was being stolen

Trump went on to “hereby claim” Michigan, which was won by opponent Biden.

Two days after the election, Trump reiterated his claims about mass fraud in a conference, while litigation his campaign advanced in swing states of Georgia and Michigan had already been thrown out.

On November 7, Biden’s victory was announced. For the following month, Trump’s legal team engaged in dozens of lawsuits while he flooded Twitter with claims of fraud and victory.

Reuters – Trump campaign loses lawsuit seeking to halt Michigan vote count
US News & World Report – Trump Campaign Loses Legal Fights in Georgia and Michigan, Vows Nevada Lawsuit

said if Biden were elected, he’d “listen to the scientists”?

Trump made the remark at an October, 18 2020 rally in Carson City, Nevada.

He will surrender your future to the virus. He’s going to lockdown. This guy wants to lockdown. He’ll listen to the scientists. If I listened totally to the scientists, we would write down, have a country that would be in a massive depression.

Opponent Joe Biden responded on Twitter.

Axios – Trump says if Biden’s elected, “he’ll listen to the scientists”
The Hill – Trump: Biden will ‘listen to the scientists’ if elected
CBS News – Trump slams Biden for listening to scientists as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise

retweeted a conspiracy theory that claimed bin Laden was still alive?

On October 13, 2020, Trump retweeted a QAnon conspiracy that claimed that Barack Obama and Joe Biden faked Osama bin Laden’s death in 2011. The account he retweeted was soon after deleted.

https://i0.wp.com/cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/Screen-Shot-2020-10-13-at-11.10.18-AM.png?resize=509%2C443&ssl=1

Trump also retweeted a video that claimed Iran was paid off to safely transfer bin Laden to Pakistan for Obama’s “trophy kill.”

Robert J. O’Neill, the Seal Team 6 operative who fired the killing shots, also replied over Twitter:

During that week’s Presidential Town Hall, Trump refused to denounce QAnon.

The Washington Post – Riggleman condemns Trump’s retweet of ‘ludicrous’ conspiracy about Navy SEALs, bin Laden
USA Today – ‘You’re not someone’s crazy uncle’: Guthrie challenges Trump on conspiracy theory retweets
The Hill – Trump digs in on conspiracy theory over bin Laden raid

avoided denouncing white supremacist groups during a presidential debate?

During the first presidential debate on September 29, 2020, Trump was asked by moderate Christopher Wallace to unequivocally denounce white supremacist groups. Instead of doing so, he told once such group – the Proud Boys – to “stand back and stand by.”

WALLACE: You have repeatedly criticized the vice president for not specifically calling out antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. But are you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland? Are you prepared to specifically do that?

 

TRUMP: Sure, I’m prepared to do that. But I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing. If you look, I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace.

 

WALLACE: Then do it, sir.

 

BIDEN: Do it. Say it.

 

TRUMP: You want to call them? What do you want to call them? Give me a name, give me a name, go ahead — who would you like me to condemn?

 

WALLACE: White supremacists, white supremacists and right-wing militia.

 

TRUMP: Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what: Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left. Because this is not a right-wing problem — this is a left-wing problem.

The Proud Boys, which is designated as a far-right hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, called the president’s comment a tacit endorsement.

The following January, the leader of the Proud Boys was banned by a judge from Washington DC for weapons and vandalism charges.

During his 2016 campaign, Trump failed to disavow former KKK Grandwizard David Duke’s endorsement.

NPR – From Debate Stage, Trump Declines To Denounce White Supremacy
BBC News – Trump now tells far right to ‘stand down’ amid white supremacy row
Southern Poverty Law Center – Proud Boys
USA Today – Who are the Proud Boys? Far-right group has concerned experts for years
The New York Times – Proud Boys celebrate Trump’s ‘stand by’ remark about them at the debate.
Associated Press – Judge bans Proud Boys leader from nation’s capital after arrest on vandalism, weapons charges
Wikipedia – Proud Boys

retweeted a doctored video of Biden playing “F*ck tha Police”?

Trump twice tweeted a doctored video of Biden playing N.W.A.’s anti-police protest song “F*ck tha Police.” The account that originally posted the video that Trump retweeted was suspended.

In the unaltered video, Biden played “Despacito.”

Trump long accused Biden of wanting to defund police, though Biden never made any such suggestion.

Trump previously tweeted another doctored video and Russian propaganda against Biden.

USA Today – Biden goes viral after playing ‘Despacito’ at Florida campaign stop, as he tries to win Latino voters
The Washington Post – Trump shares manipulated video of Biden, replacing ‘Despacito’ with N.W.A’s anti-police anthem
Reuters – Twitter labels video of Biden shared by Trump ‘manipulated media’
Variety – Trump Tweets Faked Video of Biden Grooving to NWA’s ‘F— tha Police’
Associated Press – Joe Biden did not call for defunding the police

said COVID-19 affects “virtually nobody”?

Trump made the claim at a September 21, 2020 rally in Ohio.

You know, in some States, thousands of people, nobody young below the age of 18, like nobody. They have a strong immune system. Who knows? Take your hat off to the young because they have a hell of an immune system, but it affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing. By the way, open your schools. Everybody open your schools.

However, in a taped February conversation, Trump said the virus was five times more deadly than the flu, referring to it as “deadly stuff.”

Trump immediately after went on to claim that “Joe Biden wants to impose a $4 trillion tax site, ban American energy, destroy the suburbs, give free healthcare to illegal aliens” and that the left was going to “indoctrinate your children with poisonous anti-American lies.”

On the day of the rally, the United States totaled 7,067,486 cases and 204,525 deaths.

The New York Times – Trump falsely says the coronavirus pandemic ‘affects virtually nobody,’ as U.S. death toll nears 200,000.
Politico – ‘It affects virtually nobody’: Trump downplays virus threat to young people
Rev – Donald Trump Swanton, Ohio Campaign Rally Transcript September 21
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

attacked Biden for failing to implement a national mask mandate?

During a September 16, 2020 town hall hosted by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Trump attacked Biden and Democrats for not passing a mask mandate. Biden held no office, and Democrats only had control of the US House of Representatives.

He went on to describe how people don’t like wearing masks:

TRUMP: Well, I do wear them when I have to and when I’m in hospitals and other locations. But I will say this. They said at the Democrat convention they’re going to do a national mandate. They never did it, because they’ve checked out and they didn’t do it.

And a good question is, you ask why Joe Biden — they said we’re going to do a national mandate on masks.

 

STEPHANOPOULOS: He’s called on all governors to have them. There’s a state responsibility…

 

TRUMP: Well no, but he didn’t do it. I mean, he never did it. Now there is by the way, a lot of people don’t want to wear masks. There are a lot of people think that masks are not good. And there are a lot of people that as an example you have…

 

STEPHANOPOULOS: Who are those people?

 

TRUMP: I’ll tell you who those people are — waiters. They come over and they serve you, and they have a mask. And I saw it the other day where they were serving me, and they’re playing with the mask…I’m not blaming them…I’m just saying what happens. They’re playing with the mask, so the mask is over, and they’re touching it, and then they’re touching the plate. That can’t be good.

During the same interview, Trump claimed that herd immunity, “like herd mentality,” meant that COVID-19 would disappear quickly even without a vaccine.

On the day of the town hall, the United States totaled 6,855,605 cases and 201,351 deaths.

ABC News – Trump’s ABC News town hall: Full transcript
Business Insider – Trump criticizes Biden at town hall for not issuing a national mask mandate — but Biden as a candidate has no authority to do so
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

claimed that Twitter was conspiring against him?

Trump has also had several tweets flagged by Twitter, including for misinformation about COVID-19 and spreading manipulated media of political opponent Joe Biden. In another instance, he tweeted false claims about Biden linked to Russian misinformation campaigns.

accused Biden of taking performance-enhancing drugs?

In an August 26, 2020 interview with The Washington Examiner, Trump claimed without evidence that his Democrat opponent for the 2020 election was taking performance-enhancing drugs.

He repeated the claim in a September 11, 2020 interview on Fox News.

He has also called for Biden to be tested for drugs on Twitter.

Trump repeatedly accused Biden of being mentally incompetent, while bragging about his own completion of a basic cognitive exam.

The Washington Examiner – Trump calls for drug tests before Biden debate
Forbes – Trump’s Latest Trolling Of Biden’s Mental State: Calling For Drug Tests Before Debates
Business Insider – President Trump baselessly accuses Biden of taking performance-enhancing drugs during primary debates

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