Former President Donald Trump's continued lies that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him by Democrats colluding with election companies and foreign adversaries to facilitate widespread election fraud are, in short, nonsense.
As numerous election audits, court verdicts, local election officials, and Trump's own Justice Department have confirmed, there was no fraud ubiquitous enough to influence the results of the 2020 election. As Trump's own officials noted, 2020's was the most secure election in American history. Of the rare cases of voter fraud that have been uncovered, many were committed by Trump supporters.
But even a year after these election lies culminated in a deadly failed insurrection against the United States Capitol, Trump and the Republican party continue to embrace fantasies of widespread voter fraud, often in an effort to justify legislation making it harder for Americans to vote.
Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota recently refuted Trump's election fantasies, acknowledging he looked into 60 different allegations of election fraud.
He relayed his conclusions in an interview with ABC, saying:
“The election was fair, as fair as we've seen. We simply did not win the election, as Republicans, for the presidency."
Assuring that a national election was free and fair used to be non-controversial, but in today's Republican party, refuting hysteria over election fraud is now a cancellable offense.
As such, Trump blasted Rounds in a new statement, vowing to never endorse the Senator again.
NEW!
President Donald J. Trump:
““Senator” Mike Rounds of the Great State of South Dakota just went woke on the Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020. He made a statement this weekend on ABC Fake News, that despite massive evidence to the contrary, including much of it... pic.twitter.com/VXFglmh4gX
— Liz Harrington 🍊 (@realLizUSA) January 10, 2022
Trump wrote in part:
“'Senator' Mike Rounds of the Great State of South Dakota just went woke on the Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020. He made a statement this weekend on ABC Fake News, that despite massive evidence to the contrary, including much of it pouring in from Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other states, he found the election to be ok—just fine. Is he crazy or just stupid?"
Other than the fact that Rounds gave an interview to ABC News, every statement made by Trump in that paragraph is false.
Georgia's Republican election officials—despite a pressure campaign from Trump—have examined and repeatedly confirmed the validity of Georgia's election. A highly controversial audit in Arizona forced by the state's Republican legislature only further confirmed Biden's victory in the state. A conservative group in Wisconsin found "no evidence" of election fraud in the state. Michigan's Attorney General and Secretary of State only uncovered three instances of voter fraud. Claims of statistically inevitable election fraud in Pennsylvania have been widely debunked.
Among the key six states that served as targets for Trump's election delusions, an Associated Press review found fewer than 475 cases where voter fraud could even potentially have occurred.
But Republicans were more inclined to believe the ravings of a one-term President deemed too dangerous for Twitter, instantly turning Mike Rounds into a Republican pariah.
Mr. Rounds is a dirty clown.
Folks, dig into this dude. Promise he ain't clean. https://t.co/Z1tvsHIvIL
— ☥ Oma Gunn ☥ (@OmaGunn) January 10, 2022
RINOs want to turn the page on the fraudulent 2020 election. We cannot afford to let that happen! https://t.co/45Yx1TTvGs
— Kathy Mattice (@45in24orB4) January 10, 2022
Throw the jerk out in 2026! No more fkn Rinos!!! 🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻@SenatorRounds @RoundsforSenate https://t.co/bYLAGOwflk
— Forever Trumper🍊 (@MaYi40442936) January 10, 2022
So South Dakota has 2 pathetic Republican senators. Time for President Trump to convince @KristiNoem to defeat one of them (Thune) this fall in 2022. https://t.co/eEDgg5TbAT
— Weaver Controls (@ControlsWeaver) January 10, 2022
@SenatorRounds you just lost support from Millions of Trump Voters and donations..basically you are accusing American Republicans and Independents that supported Trump of a fake incited insurrection instigated by @FBI you are shameful. Do you know who votes you in? Not PACS! https://t.co/CZ9uRlSSi7
— Toni V (@Lvstarlet64) January 10, 2022
Meanwhile, people who've successfully acknowledged reality pushed back on Trump's rant.
Mike Rounds (who unlike Trump won in 2020 with 66% of the vote which was better than Trump’s 62% in SD) & is a Senator who told the truth which was why Trump was triggered & dictated this rant https://t.co/B03feOYfq2 https://t.co/S8sLVjiyqu
— Steve Rhodes (@tigerbeat) January 10, 2022
Hey @GOP and other Trumpkins, if all of this so-called evidence is pouring in where are the lawsuits? Trump loves litigation, where are the court cases? I only see cases involving Trump’s involvement in his failed coup? https://t.co/VEOsHJ2Fqy
— SPPS (@realsstrudwick) January 10, 2022
This is how scared he is of internal dissent when it comes to The Big Lie. He will personally go after *anyone* inside the party who counters The Big Lie narrative. https://t.co/yRniebuCcN
— ShitlordActual (taylor’s version) (@ShitlordActual) January 10, 2022
Rounds isn't up for reelection until 2026.