WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leading up to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, President Donald Trump claimed the election was stolen. He still continues to make that claim. Various claims of alleged widespread election fraud in 2020 were investigated, litigated and judges found they were without merit. We spoke with an election watchdog about our election integrity.
“We’re seeing an attempt to rewrite history,” said David Becker, founder and director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR). CEIR is a nonprofit that works with election officials and builds confidence in elections. “It’s been going on almost immediately after those attacks to not just forget about the events from January 6 but completely reinvent a fake mythology around those attacks.”
Becker reflects on the anniversary of January 6, 2021. Then-President Donald Trump claimed the election was rigged and days before now-former President Joe Biden was sworn in, a group of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol trying to prevent congress from certifying the election results.
“That attack was based on a lie,” said Becker. “It was based on a lie that our elections were rife with fraud it was a based on a lie that that election and particular elections were being stolen from the American people and that is simply not true.”
Becker said the several court cases that followed showed no widespread fraud. He adds election fraud is rare. According to a 2024 Gallup poll, Republicans’ faith in the accuracy of election results nationwide has dropped from 44 percent to 28 percent since the 2020 election. Democrats’ confidence in the reliability of the presidential vote has remained high according to that poll.
While Congress has made reforms to help put in election guardrails, Becker is concerned false claims of election fraud will continue in future elections.
“I do expect there’s going to be baseless claims about fraud even though our elections as secure as they’ve ever been,” said Becker. “I think the allegations of fraud are going to be conveniently targeted at those places where election conspiracy theorists and their candidates have lost.”
In late 2024 the Department of Justice dropped the election interference case against Trump after he won the 2024 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith back then said it’s against the Department’s policy to prosecute sitting presidents.
