WASHINGTON — During a recent presidential debate, former President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that he won the 2020 election, continuing to deny responsibility for the unrest that occurred at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. That day, his supporters stormed the building in an effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
Trump’s remarks highlighted his ongoing refusal to accept the outcome of the election, even four years later. His persistence in promoting false narratives about his election loss has been linked to the motivations behind the Capitol riot, where supporters clashed violently with law enforcement. These grievances are a central theme of his 2024 campaign against Democrat Kamala Harris, aligning himself with those involved in the riots.
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden secured 306 electoral votes compared to Trump’s 232. Election officials, including Trump’s former Attorney General, William Barr, have confirmed the absence of widespread fraud. Republican governors in pivotal states such as Arizona and Georgia also affirmed the integrity of their elections. Most legal challenges put forth by Trump and his supporters were dismissed, including those by the Supreme Court, which includes three justices appointed by Trump.
An analysis of voter fraud allegations in six battleground states showed fewer than 475 potential cases. Biden won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin by a combined total of 311,257 votes, out of 25.5 million ballots cast for president, with the disputed ballots accounting for just 0.15% of his victory margin in these states.
During the debate, Trump faced questions about his actions on January 6, particularly regarding his encouragement for supporters to “fight like hell.” He deflected the questions by claiming he also urged the crowd to act “peacefully and patriotically.” He referenced Ashli Babbitt, a supporter who was shot by a Capitol Police officer during the chaos.
Trump drew comparisons to the protests surrounding social justice issues, questioning the prosecution of individuals involved. However, a review of court documents showed that over 120 people faced felony convictions related to those protests.
When pressed again about January 6, Trump remarked, “I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech.”
He omitted addressing the provocative language he used, urging the crowd to march to the Capitol while Congress was certifying Biden’s victory. He stated, “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” after his attorney declared, “Let’s have trial by combat.”
Trump only called for rioters to leave the Capitol over three hours after the attack began, stating in a video, “You’re very special people,” as he asked them to “go home.”
He also repeated an unfounded claim that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “rejected” an offer to send “10,000 National Guard or soldiers” to the Capitol, despite the fact that Pelosi has no authority over the National Guard. She, along with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, called for military assistance as the attack unfolded.
Meanwhile, Harris expressed a desire to move forward from the events of January 6, stating, “Let’s not go back. It’s time to turn the page.”
Despite suggesting in a recent interview that he “lost by a whisker,” Trump claimed during the debate that it was a sarcastic comment, doubling down on his assertions regarding the election results.
“I’ll show you Georgia, and I’ll show you Wisconsin, and I’ll show you Pennsylvania,” he claimed, reiterating his unfounded statements about winning these states. “We have so many facts and statistics.”
