It's become an all-too-widespread delusion within the Republican party that Democrats rely on facilitating widespread election fraud in order to gain power.
In the days after the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump repeatedly peddled this conspiracy theory through pressure on officials in swing states he lost, lie-ridden tweets, failed lawsuits, bumbling press conferences, and sham state legislature hearings. Trump's deranged election fantasy—now known to his critics as "the Big Lie"—even led a mob of his extremist supporters to mount a deadly failed insurrection against the Capitol, hoping to upend the joint congressional session confirming Biden's victory.
Even after the calamity of that day, Trump continues to regularly release statements promoting the fantasy that the 2020 election was stolen, and calling for audits even in states he won.
Believing that victory was "stolen" from Trump is now a prerequisite for the MAGA-sphere—except when Republicans win, as GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Younkgin of Virginia did on Tuesday night.
Noting this, far-right evangelical blogger Erick Erickson urged his fellow Republicans to accept that Trump legitimately lost the election, now that they're accepting the results in Virginia.
A message from management.pic.twitter.com/VDf44irH89— Erick Erickson (@Erick Erickson) 1635917735
Erickson said:
"You idiots have spent a year peddling the fiction the 2020 election was stolen because you were so busy humping Trump's leg that you never really even tried to convince persuadable voters to vote. Now you're all 'oh the Dems are too smart to steal anything other than the one election that requires figuring out the electoral college landscape and voter distribution across multiple swing states where just a popular vote doesn't matter.'
No, either admit the election wasn't stolen or STFU from here on out. The Democrats literally lost Virginia, a state they fully controlled. They lost the judiciary in PA, which they controlled. They lost down to freaking dog catcher across the nation."
He wasn't done:
"I know some of you are too in the cult to admit the truth that Trump lost, but get over yourselves now. Move on. Shut up about stolen elections that weren't stolen because I assure you the Democrats would have stolen some of the 2021 elections if they could have, but they could not so they did not. And if you really have clung to the 2020 was stolen mythology that lets you sleep well at night as a professional victim, please unfriend me and unfollow me because your presence is needed in Neverland and not here in reality."
The post angered some of the conservatives "too in the cult" to hear Trump lost.
C'mon dude, they were surprised by Trump in 2016 in certain states and weren't ready for it. But they didn't let it happen again in 2020.\n\nSimilarly, they were surprised last night as well in other places "in the bag" and again weren't ready for it. Next time they will be.— Beto Landmasker (you're a/pretentious fool) (@Beto Landmasker (you're a/pretentious fool)) 1635936495
You are not as sharp as Rush.— Mark Lehman (@Mark Lehman) 1635940475
Ok! Unfollowed!— Jared Thompson (@Jared Thompson) 1635918113
But some praised Erickson for rejecting election lies.
The only marginally smart thing this guy ever saidhttps://twitter.com/ewerickson/status/1455770610311774208\u00a0\u2026— Elias Wolfberg (@Elias Wolfberg) 1635947151
I don't agree with right-wing Erick Erickson often, but I appreciate conservatives like him who can at least tell the truth and put our democracy and country above short-term self-interest.https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1455770610311774208\u00a0\u2026— BSE, MD, PhD (@BSE, MD, PhD) 1635950634
like that he had to get drunk to say the obvious. still counts though, I guess. \nBrave Erik.— Mark Gardner (@Mark Gardner) 1635951343
I like bourbon fueled Erick and wish I could like this tweet a thousand times.— Trevor Smith (@Trevor Smith) 1635942552
What is this bourbon that favors truth over fiction! The country needs this!— OG McRibb (@OG McRibb) 1635918571
It's yet to be seen if conservatives will listen to him.
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