Presidential candidate Donald Trump has, yet again (and in all caps), posted on his social media platform Truth Social to share his thoughts about the upcoming election and wrote, “ANYBODY THAT CHEATS ON THE ELECTION IS GOING TO JAIL!!!” Election cheating and voter fraud have been some of the points the former president has been repeatedly talking about during his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
On Aug. 3, at the Georgia State University Convocation Center in Atlanta, Trump said, “We have to vote and we have to make sure that we stop them from cheating because they cheat like dogs.” Trump sat down for an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, which aired on Aug. 27, where he said, “Anytime you have a mail-in ballot, there’s going to be massive fraud.” On Sept. 6, Trump was at the Fraternal Order of Police convention in North Carolina and, addressing the men in uniform, said:
“Watch for voter fraud. Because we win. Without voter fraud, we win so easily… You can keep it down just by watching. Because believe it or not, they’re afraid of the badge. They’re afraid of you people.”
These are just a few of the instances wherein Trump mentioned cheating and fraud, strong statements came from a man who was indicted in 2023 for election interference after he lost the 2020 election.
What happened to Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference cases?
In 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Trump on four charges: conspiracy against rights; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Per the indictment, the former president was said to be “determined to remain in power” after he lost to Joe Biden. Special counsel Jack Smith stated that Trump, refusing to accept that he lost, spread lies about election fraud and that he was the actual victor. Smith further said that Trump knew his statements were lies yet he continued to spread them anyway.
Trump’s statements about election fraud resulted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as Congress was having an assembly to ratify the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. A large mob of Trump’s supporters breached barriers and ransacked offices, many carrying deadly weapons, such as pipes and bats. As a result, more than a hundred officers were injured, hundreds of people who witnessed the attack were left traumatized, and at least seven individuals died.
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges at his Aug. 3, 2023, arraignment. To date, the case hasn’t moved forward due to Trump’s appeal of presidential immunity to the Supreme Court. In addition to the federal indictment, Trump also has a state indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, for election interference in the 2020 elections. Biden won in Georgia in the 2020 election, and in a recorded phone call, Trump told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780” because he was sure they won in the state. The former president was initially charged with 13 counts, but five charges have since been dismissed, leaving eight remaining charges. Trump pleaded not guilty, and a trial date has yet to be scheduled.
Due to his statements and past actions after losing the 2020 election, some people are pretty sure that Trump will be pulling the same stunts if he loses the 2024 election as well.