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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump Ignored Aides, Repeated False Fraud Claims

Trump Ignored Aides, Repeated False Fraud Claims

At the second hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, former President Donald Trump’s top aides testified that they told him his claims of election fraud were baseless. What Trump characterized as “fraud” was just part of the “normal process,” as former Attorney General William Barr said in one instance.

Evidence Gaps in ‘2000 Mules’

Evidence Gaps in ‘2000 Mules’

A conservative film now playing in select theaters around the country isn’t “determinative, definitive” proof of widespread voter fraud, as former President Donald Trump has claimed.

Republican TV Ad Makes False Claim About ‘Dead’ Voters

Republican TV Ad Makes False Claim About ‘Dead’ Voters

An illegal ballot cast on behalf of a deceased voter is rare, and we could find no examples of it occurring in Michigan in 2020 or 2016. Yet, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Michigan falsely claims in a TV ad that “dead people always vote Democrat,” and misleadingly suggests it is a widespread problem in his state.

TV Ad Attacking Brian Kemp Makes Unsubstantiated Georgia Election Claim

TV Ad Attacking Brian Kemp Makes Unsubstantiated Georgia Election Claim

The Georgia secretary of state’s office is investigating a conservative watchdog group’s claims of illegal “ballot harvesting” in the state during the November 2020 general election and a special election runoff in January 2021. But the pending investigation is not evidence that “widespread illegal ballot harvesting” elected Georgia’s two Democratic U.S. senators, as a conservative super PAC’s TV ad claims. 

Exposing the Holes in a California Recall Election Conspiracy Theory

Exposing the Holes in a California Recall Election Conspiracy Theory

Videos on social media suggest that holes in the return envelopes being used for mail-in ballots in California were designed to allow election officials to peek inside and toss out ballots in favor of recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom. Officials say the holes serve two useful purposes, including helping the vision impaired to sign the ballot envelope in private. 

Debunking Trump’s Latest Arizona Election Claims

Debunking Trump’s Latest Arizona Election Claims

After a contractor hired by state Senate Republicans to look into the results of the 2020 Arizona election provided an update on its findings at a legislative hearing on July 15, former President Donald Trump issued a series of false and misleading statements about what it has uncovered.

More Trump Election Distortions

More Trump Election Distortions

Continuing to claim there is “so much evidence” of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, former President Donald Trump offered two new distortions of the facts about election results in Georgia, a state where recounts showed he narrowly lost by 12,670 votes.

Barr Disputes U.S. Attorney’s Vote Fraud Claim

Barr Disputes U.S. Attorney’s Vote Fraud Claim

Former President Donald Trump says a former U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania was forbidden by then-Attorney General Bill Barr to investigate voter fraud in the presidential election. Barr says that’s false.

Viral Quote About Elections Misattributed to Trey Gowdy

Viral Quote About Elections Misattributed to Trey Gowdy

A viral Facebook post falsely attributes claims of widespread voter fraud and “treasonous acts” during the 2020 election to former Rep. Trey Gowdy. But he told us the statement “wasn’t from me.” We tracked the comments to a retired general who has spread unfounded conspiracy theories.

Myth of Ballot Watermarks Flushed Out Again  

Myth of Ballot Watermarks Flushed Out Again   

An audit of ballots and a forensic audit of voting equipment earlier this year found no problems in the 2020 elections in Maricopa County, Arizona. But debunked claims about voter fraud revealed by secret “watermarks” are flowing again on social media amid a Republican-led audit. County officials say no watermarks were used on the ballots.