There are dozens of right-wing delusions surrounding the 2020 election, practically all of which claim that Democrats somehow worked with election companies and foreign governments to facilitate widespread election fraud, "stealing" a victory from former President Donald Trump.
Republicans who reject these conspiracy theories have seen their reputation suffer among the Republican base. Georgia's GOP governor—Brian Kemp—and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger repeatedly faced Trump's ire and death threats from his voters for their refusal to cave to his pressure in undoing the state's election results, for instance.
Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming was censured by her state's Republican party and removed from her position as GOP Conference Chair for acknowledging the legitimacy of now-President Joe Biden's victory and for voting to impeach Donald Trump over the deadly failed insurrection his lies prompted.
While most of their critics decry them as RINOs [Republicans in Name Only] who didn't fight the nonexistent "fraud" hard enough, a new conspiracy theory surfaced at a right-wing protest outside the Michigan state Capitol, where one Trump voter claimed it was, in fact, Republicans who "stole" the election.
Watch below
Well, here’s a new conspiracy I haven’t heard yet. Speaker at the MI rally today said elected REPUBLICANS all aroun… https://t.co/NJ5evdJC7d— Ron Filipkowski (@Ron Filipkowski) 1634059203.0
The speaker at the event, who joined others calling for yet another partisan audit of the 2020 election results, said:
"Whoever won the presidential election in 2020 gets his butt kicked in the midterms next year. Stop and think about that! If these Republicans and other Republicans across the country, did they really want Trump to win? No, because Biden winning guarantees them that they might be able to get rid of [Michigan Democratic governor Gretchen] Whitmer, [Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana] Nessel, [Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn] Benson, and gain more seats on the Republican side next year. Think about this!"
People thought about it...and immediately dismissed the fantasy.
Giving the libs two years of barely-checked power to own the libs https://t.co/MMInIKlp8w— Dave Weigel (@Dave Weigel) 1634059290.0
Basement dwellers do come up with some really strange conspiracy theories. https://t.co/PW8itCiOb9— Bob Shaw (@Bob Shaw) 1634059894.0
How convoluted does your logic need to be to come to this conclusion? https://t.co/9eoBKwmNFj— Vinnie Longobardo (@Vinnie Longobardo) 1634060624.0
By this logic, shouldn't they be supporting Dems in 2022 to "ensure" they get a winner in 2024. https://t.co/uecgeeIiiO— Randi Doeker (@Randi Doeker) 1634062582.0
Every other premise has failed to justify the conclusion, so now they'll try this one https://t.co/ixpPVMaKV5— TTDaddy (@TTDaddy) 1634066300.0
Spoken with requisite stupidity and indignation, of course. https://t.co/Ykm13Zwvh3— Kyle Henderson (@Kyle Henderson) 1634060243.0
Prospects are looking grim for Democrats retaining their congressional majority next November, and some hoped the speaker's conspiracy would catch on, discouraging enough Republican voters from participating.
And the only thing a true conservative can do about it is stay home next November! Don't let the insiders manipulat… https://t.co/D5qxA6TGrX— Brian Young (@Brian Young) 1634059426.0
So he's not voting Republican? Are we going to get lucky and they end up talking themselves out of voting for anyon… https://t.co/CoHDmJjqqk— DameLilith (@DameLilith) 1634081081.0
I hope this intra-GOP stabbed in the back narrative catches on. https://t.co/As29toEXc1— Lindsay Beyerstein (@Lindsay Beyerstein) 1634060262.0
The midterm elections are just over a year away.