Former President Donald Trump remains relentless in promoting the deranged fantasy that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him by Democrats engaging in widespread election fraud.
Nearly a year after losing the election, amid constant debunking of the conspiracy theory, Trump continues to regularly release unhinged statements perpetuating the same lies that led to the deadly failed insurrection against the United States Capitol.
In one such recent statement earlier this month, Trump appeared to discourage Republican voters from participating in the midterm and 2024 elections unless officials relented to his election lies by "fixing" the nonexistent widespread "fraud."
He wrote:
"If we don't solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020 (which we have thoroughly and conclusively documented), Republicans will not be voting in '22 and '24. It is the single most important thing for Republicans to do."
The threat generated mockery from Trump's critics, who proceeded to encourage Republican apathy in the upcoming midterm elections
In another statement on Thursday, Trump attempted to walk back his claim that Republicans wouldn't vote, emphasizing that he wasn't encouraging them to sit out the elections, but rather that they wouldn't be incentivized to vote.
NEW!\n\nPresident Donald J. Trump:\n\n"The statement that I made a few weeks ago saying that Republicans will not vote if the Election Fraud of 2020 is not fixed, was in no way meant to imply that I would tell them not to vote, but rather that they may not have the incentive to votepic.twitter.com/2RcbLRkp9o— Liz Harrington (@Liz Harrington) 1635447052
Trump wrote:
"The statement that I made a few weeks ago saying that Republicans will not vote if the Election Fraud of 2020 is not fixed, was in no way meant to imply that I would tell them not to vote, but rather that they may not have the incentive to vote if the election process is not fully remedied, and quickly. It was the Crime of the Century. We are working on solving that problem every day—it will be done! People do not want to spend their time and money to have a SCAM like that happen again. Regardless of anything or anyone, we must get out the Republican and SANE VOTE!"
People couldn't help but laugh.
Hahahahaha!— Kiri Rainey (@Kiri Rainey) 1635447350
You folks are hilarious!— \u2696\ufe0f Pro-vax, Extreme Masker since 2020 (@\u2696\ufe0f Pro-vax, Extreme Masker since 2020) 1635449740
Hmmmm Backpeddling eh?\nTook you long enough\nGee you are efficient LMAO— @Newmee (@@Newmee) 1635447880
LOL. You clown. You act as if everything hinges on what you say hahahaha. Truth is, everyone is making fun of you.— Jack Hopkins (@Jack Hopkins) 1635448195
CYA. Bwhahahaa— Chiefs Kingdom (@Chiefs Kingdom) 1635447118
Trump's followers predictably fell in line
TOO MUCH WINNING! \n\nSTOP IT YOU ARE MAKING THESE LIBERALS GO INSANE.— Trump Won \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2\u274c (@Trump Won \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2\u274c) 1635447799
The CRAP-CROWD will twist ANYTHING Trump says.\n\nso, what's new?— Tom Thomas (@Tom Thomas) 1635447169
WE THE PEOPLE KNOWS THAT YHE 2020 ELECTION WAS NOTHING BUT FRAUDULENT ALL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE THROWN TO THE CURB!— Carolyn Reid (@Carolyn Reid) 1635448302
Agree 100%. My vote was suppressed on November 3.— RagoMaria (@RagoMaria) 1635447523
Democrats' prospects in the midterms are grim, but widespread Republican inaction would completely transform the races.
