For months, President Donald Trump has worked to sow mistrust in American democracy, setting the stage to blame nonexistent widespread voter fraud on his loss to Democratic nominee—and now President-elect—Joe Biden.
On Saturday, multiple major news outlets projected that Biden would be the President-elect after winning the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania—eliminating Trump's remaining paths to victory.
As expected, Trump is refusing to concede the election to Biden. Instead, the infamously litigious President and his team are mounting legal battles in a number of states to contest ballots they claim shouldn't be counted.
In a move that will likely evaporate trust in the democratic process among the President's supporters, Trump is once again claiming the results of the 2020 election can't be trusted because he lost.
The President's Republican allies in Congress are following his lead. Among them? Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who accused Democrats of trying to steal the presidency, counting ballots in secret, and other baseless claims.
Cruz and Trump were the last two standing in the bitter Republican primary of 2016, in which Trump insulted Cruz's wife's appearance.
While Cruz is solidly in Trump's camp now, a newly resurfaced tweet from that primary shows Trump whining that Cruz fraudulently won the Iowa Caucus.
Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2016
In the tweet, Trump called for a new caucus altogether or for Cruz to be disqualified. That never came to pass.
But the aged tweet did give insight into how little Trump's claims of fraud are actually based in fact.
Oh look, @realDonaldTrump has cried wolf 8,379 times.
cc:@tedcruz https://t.co/MVn1hnMANI
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) November 9, 2020
this is what he does when he loses https://t.co/v7J4oiQYXA
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) November 9, 2020
Wait - so Trump does this all the time no matter who he's against? Fascinating. It's almost like the facts don't matter to him. Like he is the cheater. https://t.co/3cxBABSUKO
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) November 9, 2020
Trump's history of claiming fraud when he loses is almost as if he's just making it up https://t.co/76GKKPBZvx
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) November 9, 2020
Based on our current standards for proof, @tedcruz stole the Iowa Caucus. Pass it on. https://t.co/gSUDOjdSNd
— 🦎Swamp Lizard🦎 (@DiscoTempoJazz) November 9, 2020
This is all he knows how to do. He's a one trick pony!!! https://t.co/acR5h4Ku18
— Emilio Flores (@theemilioflores) November 9, 2020
Once again, "there's always a tweet."
Always a tweet https://t.co/kKRzsb9ORk
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 9, 2020
Always, always, *always* a tweet. This from Feb 2016. https://t.co/T7mBsYm9qb
— Charles Arthur (@charlesarthur) November 9, 2020
There is always an old tweet showing how stupid and meaningless today's tweet is.......how did that lawsuit in Iowa turn out? https://t.co/UE4tT5krBB
— Donna Lynn Hewitt (@DLHEWITT) November 9, 2020
President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are expected to be inaugurated on January 20th.