PoliticsDonald Trump Revives Election Conspiracies, Claims He Doesn’t Believe Them
Donald Trump revived debunked election conspiracies while claiming he doesn’t believe them.
March 31 2026, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
Donald Trump is revisiting debunked election conspiracies.
In February, the president revived the “Italygate” theory, suggesting that Italian military satellites hacked U.S. voting machines during the 2020 election. Trump’s claims come as he maintains his narrative of betrayal regarding the election results, particularly against Joe Biden.
Donald Trump revisited election conspiracy theories.
Trump recently posted on Truth Social, reviving the idea that foreign entities manipulated votes. He alleged that China coordinated the supposed operation, with the CIA overseeing it and the FBI covering it up to install Biden as a “puppet.” However, these assertions lack any substantial evidence.
The president mentioned the 'Italygate' claim again.
The “Italygate” conspiracy first emerged in late 2020, pushed by far-right figures and QAnon supporters. They claimed that voting machines were linked to an Italian defense contractor and that manipulation occurred from the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Various fact-checkers, including PBS, have dismissed these claims as baseless and no credible investigation has substantiated them.
The POTUS continues to claim the 2020 election was 'rigged.'
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In December 2020, Trump’s then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows forwarded a letter regarding the Italygate theory to acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, urging the Department of Justice to investigate. Rosen’s aides quickly dismissed the request as “pure insanity,” leading to no further action by the DOJ.
In a February 4 interview with NBC News anchor Tom Llamas, Trump was asked about his promotion of election conspiracies that he claims to not believe. He responded, asserting that he was not endorsing these theories but merely “retruthed” them. This statement reflected a complex relationship with the narratives he spreads.
Experts have dismissed the claims as false.
Trump’s claims are not confined to the 2020 election. He also revisited conspiracies related to the 2016 election, accusing former President Barack Obama of manipulating intelligence and conspiring with foreign powers. Critics have pointed out the logical inconsistency, given that Obama served as president during that time.
For years, Trump has maintained that the 2020 election was rigged, particularly in Georgia. Courts and audits have consistently rejected these claims. The former president’s recent statements come amid news of an FBI seizure of ballots in Georgia, which he interprets as validation of his fraud allegations. He ominously warned that “this is only the beginning” and that prosecutions are forthcoming.
