President-elect Joe Biden defeated outgoing President Donald Trump not just in the 2020 election, but in the state of Arizona, which went blue for the first time since 1996.
Trump has repeatedly denied the reality that he lost the state, amplifying lies about widespread voter fraud tipping the election to Biden, even as his own lawyers argue the opposite in court. The cases brought forth by the Trump legal team to subvert the election results of numerous states have failed in court 48 times so far.
Trump's efforts to override the election and secure a second term haven't been successful, but these efforts have resulted in the erosion of faith in America's democracy among the President's millions of supporters, thanks to a targeted disinformation campaign about the susceptibility of American elections to fraud.
Exacerbating this destruction of faith in Amerian democracy are Trump's allies within the Republican party, many of whom still put forth the delusion that Trump—currently seven million votes behind Biden and well below the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the White House—will be the one inaugurated on January 20th.
The official Republican party of Arizona even endorsed the position in a recent tweet.
When President @realDonaldTrump is inaugurated for his second term on January 20, 2021, will Joe Biden's handlers make him boycott or let him attend?
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) December 6, 2020
The Arizona GOP's account invited speculation on whether or not Biden would attend Trump's inauguration or boycott it, despite Biden having won the election.
People were amazed at the disconnection with reality.
The Arizona GOP is pathetic.
Just pathetic. https://t.co/JmaL2XPKmX
— Matthew Spira (@MatthewSpira) December 7, 2020
This is just delusional.
Just totally divorced from reality.
— Alex Kack (@Alex_Kack) December 6, 2020
I grew up in the George Wallace era of Alabama and I thought I had seen everything nasty in the political world,,,,,but Arizona has some deadly serious problems....yep...
— Icarus Stone (@KratzerAllen) December 7, 2020
pic.twitter.com/jyCeznh8EW
— AnniO (@AomalleyLynch) December 6, 2020
Clearly, reality is going to be difficult for you.
— John Zimmer (@ZimmerJohn) December 7, 2020
Please stop with these delusional tweets.
— Organic & Cheap (@Organicandcheap) December 6, 2020
But though Trump's critics mocked the fantasy, Trump has ushered in a broad disinformation campaign that Democrats and moderate Republicans worked with foreign countries and election software systems to achieve a Biden victory.
Thanks to lies like the one put forth by the Arizona GOP, an unignorable faction of Trump's supporters believe that the presidential election wasn't an election at all—but a coup.
It's led to some scary assertions among right wing social media spheres.
Force him to attend, then execute his ass! https://t.co/uwp71HQe2M
— STEVEBRETTNEED (@NeedWokeass) December 7, 2020
Apocalyptic evil menace has invaded our American election & country-we must never surrender to the War lords plaguing USA- God bless the greatest President ever in the history of our country USA President @realDonaldTrump @RudyGiuliani @FLOTUS @TeamTrump https://t.co/iOVoJMhgzk pic.twitter.com/LbzoBxA2Ep
— Dr. Paula Ann (@CozyCornerGifts) December 7, 2020
He should be in Gitmo at that point https://t.co/KFBQc5Gcu7
— knastus637 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (@knastus637) December 6, 2020
SHOULD MAKE #TRAITORCOMMUNISTJOEBIDEN ATTEND THEN PUT HIM AND THE ENTIRE OBAMANATION ADMINISTRATION IN HANDCUFFS! https://t.co/fGlQXj65Wt
— Rosa Martin (@RLM1255) December 6, 2020
Biden will be inaugurated on January 20th, but with millions of Americans falsely believing widespread election fraud subverted the will of the people, it will be a rough road to undo this rampant disinformation—if that's even possible anymore.
