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Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election
After Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the 2020 United States presidential election, Republican nominee and then-incumbent president Donald Trump pursued an unprecedented effort to overturn the election, with support from his campaign, proxies, political allies, and many of his supporters. These efforts culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack by Trump supporters in an attempted self-coup d'état. Trump and his allies used the "big lie" propaganda technique to promote false claims and conspiracy theories asserting that the election was stolen by means of rigged voting machines, electoral fraud and an international conspiracy. Trump pressed Department of Justice leaders to challenge the results and publicly state the election was corrupt. However, the attorney general, director of national intelligence, and director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency – as well as some Trump campaign staff – dismissed these claims. State and federal judges, election officials, and state governors also determined the claims to be baseless.
Trump loyalists, including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and several Republican lawmakers attempted to keep Trump in power. At the state level, they targeted legislatures with the intent of changing the results or delaying electoral vote certification at the Capitol. Nationally, they promoted the idea Vice President Mike Pence could refuse to certify the results on January 6, 2021. Pence repeatedly stated the Vice President has no such authority and verified Biden and Harris as the winners. Hundreds of other elected Republicans, including members of Congress and governors, refused to acknowledge Biden's victory, though a growing number acknowledged it over time. Trump's legal team sought to bring a case before the Supreme Court, but none of the 63 lawsuits they filed were successful. They pinned their hopes on Texas v. Pennsylvania, but on December 11, 2020, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Afterward, Trump considered ways to remain in power, including military intervention, seizing voting machines, and another appeal to the Supreme Court.
In June 2022, the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack said it had enough evidence to recommend that the Department of Justice indict Trump, and on December 19, the committee formally made the criminal referral to the Justice Department.
On August 1, 2023, Trump was indicted by a D.C. grand jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights; he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The Office of the Special Counsel believed there was enough evidence to convict Trump. However, given existing policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, the charges were dismissed following Trump's November 2024 election.
On August 14, 2023, Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, for their efforts to overturn the election results in that state. Four pleaded guilty. As of October 2025[update], the others (including Trump) have not yet been tried.
The investigation into those who attacked the U.S. Capitol building was the largest criminal probe in U.S. history. Over 1,500 people were charged with federal crimes, including ten leaders of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups who were convicted of seditious conspiracy. However, Trump pardoned them en masse on his first day back in office in 2025.
Trump continues to insist the election was stolen, telling a group of historians in mid-2021 that the election was "rigged and lost", stating in 2022 that he should be declared president or a new election held "immediately". In 2022, Trump supporters continued their attempts to overturn the election, pushing for state legislature resolutions and new lawsuits. Legal experts said public confidence in democracy was being undermined to lay the groundwork for baselessly challenging future elections. Trump continued to make these claims during his second presidency in 2025.
In the aftermath of the 2012 presidential election, in which incumbent president Barack Obama won re-election against Mitt Romney, Donald Trump tweeted that "The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy", that the election was a "total sham", and that the United States was "not a democracy".
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Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election
After Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the 2020 United States presidential election, Republican nominee and then-incumbent president Donald Trump pursued an unprecedented effort to overturn the election, with support from his campaign, proxies, political allies, and many of his supporters. These efforts culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack by Trump supporters in an attempted self-coup d'état. Trump and his allies used the "big lie" propaganda technique to promote false claims and conspiracy theories asserting that the election was stolen by means of rigged voting machines, electoral fraud and an international conspiracy. Trump pressed Department of Justice leaders to challenge the results and publicly state the election was corrupt. However, the attorney general, director of national intelligence, and director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency – as well as some Trump campaign staff – dismissed these claims. State and federal judges, election officials, and state governors also determined the claims to be baseless.
Trump loyalists, including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and several Republican lawmakers attempted to keep Trump in power. At the state level, they targeted legislatures with the intent of changing the results or delaying electoral vote certification at the Capitol. Nationally, they promoted the idea Vice President Mike Pence could refuse to certify the results on January 6, 2021. Pence repeatedly stated the Vice President has no such authority and verified Biden and Harris as the winners. Hundreds of other elected Republicans, including members of Congress and governors, refused to acknowledge Biden's victory, though a growing number acknowledged it over time. Trump's legal team sought to bring a case before the Supreme Court, but none of the 63 lawsuits they filed were successful. They pinned their hopes on Texas v. Pennsylvania, but on December 11, 2020, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Afterward, Trump considered ways to remain in power, including military intervention, seizing voting machines, and another appeal to the Supreme Court.
In June 2022, the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack said it had enough evidence to recommend that the Department of Justice indict Trump, and on December 19, the committee formally made the criminal referral to the Justice Department.
On August 1, 2023, Trump was indicted by a D.C. grand jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights; he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The Office of the Special Counsel believed there was enough evidence to convict Trump. However, given existing policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, the charges were dismissed following Trump's November 2024 election.
On August 14, 2023, Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, for their efforts to overturn the election results in that state. Four pleaded guilty. As of October 2025[update], the others (including Trump) have not yet been tried.
The investigation into those who attacked the U.S. Capitol building was the largest criminal probe in U.S. history. Over 1,500 people were charged with federal crimes, including ten leaders of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups who were convicted of seditious conspiracy. However, Trump pardoned them en masse on his first day back in office in 2025.
Trump continues to insist the election was stolen, telling a group of historians in mid-2021 that the election was "rigged and lost", stating in 2022 that he should be declared president or a new election held "immediately". In 2022, Trump supporters continued their attempts to overturn the election, pushing for state legislature resolutions and new lawsuits. Legal experts said public confidence in democracy was being undermined to lay the groundwork for baselessly challenging future elections. Trump continued to make these claims during his second presidency in 2025.
In the aftermath of the 2012 presidential election, in which incumbent president Barack Obama won re-election against Mitt Romney, Donald Trump tweeted that "The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy", that the election was a "total sham", and that the United States was "not a democracy".