Former President Donald Trump said Saturday any lawyers or political operatives who are found “cheating” in the presidential election will be “prosecuted” and face possible prison time if he is elected—resurrecting his false claims of significant voter fraud in 2020.
Former President Donald Trump falsely said on Truth Social there was “rampant Cheating and ... [+]
Trump claimed in a Truth Social post this year’s election results will be closely watched because of what he inaccurately characterized as “rampant Cheating and Skullduggery that has taken place by the Democrats in the 2020 Presidential Election.”
He said votes in this election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny” and people who cheated will receive “long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”
Trump has continued to tout claims of voter fraud despite there being ample evidence to the contrary, including an investigation from the Associated Press in 2021 that found there were not enough allegations of voter fraud in key swing states to change the results of the election.
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Trump’s claims that widespread voter fraud cost him the election have been countered by a number of investigations, studies and public officials from both parties. The National Association of State Election Directors issued a statement after the 2020 election saying it was “the most secure in American history,” and there was no evidence that any voting system was compromised. More than 50 lawsuits alleging voter fraud or challenging the results of the 2020 election were dismissed by judges at the state and federal levels, Reuters reported. There is also extensive research showing voter fraud is “very rare” and “voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent,” according to the Brennan Center for Justice. But Trump and other Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have continued to say election integrity is at risk, often highlighting the risk of non-citizens voting, which most experts believe is extremely rare.
36%. That’s how many adults in a Washington Post poll released late last year still believed President Joe Biden was not the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.
“Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials,” Trump said in the post Saturday night. “Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”
The former president’s most recent threat to watch for election “cheating” comes before any ballots have been cast, and follows months of claims—without evidence—the 2024 election could face significant fraud. Trump’s post about alleged voter fraud came one day after he spoke to the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, and urged them to be on the lookout for voter fraud. He said without voter fraud, “we win so easily,” and told the police officers that they can limit voter fraud “just by watching, because, believe it or not, they’re afraid of that badge,” The New York Times reported.
How much Trump talks about voter fraud and election integrity in Tuesday's debate. The former president is set to debate Vice President Kamala Harris on ABC Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EDT.