The Threat Behind Trump's Claims of Vote Rigging

So, the California primary election was “rigged,” according to Donald Trump.

And he’s quite certain about it. Certain enough to send the FBI into the state to find the rigging. Certain enough to abruptly walk out of a Meet The Press TV interview when the reporter had the bad manners to ask him for the evidence.

The long count in California, he says, confirms that Democrats cheat, and that’s what he claims happened in 2020 when Democrats stole the election that he rightly won. 

You would think that six years would be long enough to give this lie a rest. But since Trump still wants to talk about 2020, let’s.

Six Years Later, Still No Evidence

And let’s start with the fact that for six years no one has come forward to confirm Trump’s story.

No one. Not one of the million and more official poll workers who had access to the ballots. Or the millions of poll watchers each party trusted to verify the integrity of the vote count. Or any of the 27 Republican state election officials responsible for managing that election.

Trump tried mightily to prove his case. Recall the Arizona vote “autopsy?” The rumor that voting machines controlled by Italian satellites were programmed to flip votes against him? The mysterious ballots printed on Chinese paper? The 60+ court cases Trump lost?

Former New York mayor and Trump defender Rudy Giuliani said at the time that they had many  theories about election rigging, but no evidence. Six years later you would think that anyone with firm evidence, not just theory, would break silence and reveal their secret. 

Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret? Of course you do. We all do. Almost everyone of us has blabbed about something we promised not to talk about. There’s a mountain of research on secrecy-keeping, and why people struggle with whether to divulge information they otherwise know they shouldn’t. Researchers have a name for it: the Zeigarnik effect. It’s our brains trying to relieve the stress of concealing information, or seeking social validation, or regaining authenticity from telling lies, even to oneself. 

Surely by now if there was a conspiracy involving, say, dozens, or hundreds, or thousands, it’s beyond belief that someone would not have succumbed to the Zeigarnik effect.

Why November Matters

So, is Trump just delusional? Likely. And just as likely, something more sinister.

Trump told Republicans in Congress months ago that they couldn’t allow Democrats to take control of Congress in November’s elections. That would mean Trump would once again be impeached. Implied, next time the Senate would convict him and remove him from office. That would ignite a flurry of criminal and civil actions against him. He’s right to be concerned. And highly motivated not to let that happen

I live in Washington, DC. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, thousands of National Guard troops have been patrolling our city’s streets, and not because they are needed to maintain order. By now, it’s no surprise to see them, even in residential neighborhoods. They sort of blend into the scenery, and would be immediately available to answer Trump’s call to stop certification of valid Democratic election wins because of “rigging.”

Would he actually try to do that? Would the Guard commanders follow those orders? Scary stuff. But for someone who often has shown contempt for democracy, it’s a threat not to be ruled out. For years Trump has been claiming Democrats cheat. This year, for the first time, he has the power to do real harm with this obsession.

Comments? Criticism? Contact Joe Rothstein at jrothstein@rothstein.net

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