DEMOCRACY WATCHFive Foreign Election Conspiracy Theories Making the Rounds Again
After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a flurry of conspiracy theories emerged alleging that President Trump’s reelection victory was “stolen” through massive fraud. These theories were all thoroughly debunked. More than 50 court cases rejected Trump and his allies’ claims as meritless. But Trump remains unable to cope with his loss. As a result, debunked conspiracy theories about 2020 fraud are being dredged up again as pretext for consolidating federal control over elections.
After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a flurry of conspiracy theories emerged alleging that President Trump’s reelection victory was “stolen” through massive fraud. These theories were all false; the 2020 election wasn’t rigged or stolen. Over 50 court cases rejected Trump and his allies’ claims as meritless.
Nonetheless, Trump remains unable to cope with his loss. Recent news coverage suggests an executive order designed to consolidate power for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections is imminent. A possible leaked draft indicates that the order might attempt to “ban mail ballots and voting machines as vectors of foreign interference.” Based on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s notable presence at FBI searches of election offices in Fulton County, Georgia, it appears likely that foreign interference and national security will be used as pretexts for the executive order. And on Feb. 28, at the start of the U.S.’s bombing campaign against Iran, Trump posted to Truth Social, “Iran tried to interfere in 2020, 2024 elections to stop Trump.”
There was no meaningful foreign interference in the 2020 election; the Iranian interference was inconsequential, identified as it happened, and communicated to the public immediately. But given Gabbard’s demonstrated willingness to bulk-declassify documents and mislead the public about what records say, there’s a good chance we may hear that she has uncovered “evidence” of foreign fraud that no one else could find.
From tales of Venezuelan vote switching to Italian satellites to a shootout at a German server farm, several foreign-focused conspiracy theories cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 election in extraordinarily far-fetched ways. Many were largely confined to conspiratorial or far-right media ecosystems; the average person would likely not have encountered them, nor taken their ideas seriously. But now these theories may matter again. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested, and there is speculation that he may try to secure a deal. Notorious election truther Sidney Powell has recently attended meetings with Department of Justice officials. And then there’s Gabbard’s highly unusual appearance at Fulton’s election office. The Trump administration appears to be shopping for receipts—trying to find “evidence” to justify preexisting conspiracy theories. It’s worth understanding the allegations that circulated in 2020, and how thoroughly they were debunked, in the event the Trump administration attempts to dredge up similar theories to justify unprecedented consolidation of federal power over elections.
Here are the five major foreign-interference conspiracy theories of 2020, what was actually claimed, and why none of it was true.
