The Smoking Chair

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Trump lost

TV Ad Attacking Brian Kemp Makes Unsubstantiated Georgia Election Claim

April 12, 2022

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

August 26, 2021

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

July 20, 2021

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

July 16, 2021

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

July 14, 2021

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.

Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuits Are Still Active

June 3, 2021

Dominion Voting Systems has sued Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell for making false accusations of election fraud that defamed the company after the 2020 election. Both of those lawsuits are ongoing, but a false claim circulating on social media says that “Dominion LOST their law suits.”

Viral Quote About Elections Misattributed to Trey Gowdy

May 27, 2021

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

May 12, 2021

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.

OAN Report Features Baseless Assertion of Election Fraud by Algorithm

February 11, 2021

One America News Network recently spotlighted one man’s analysis that wrongly suggests precinct-level voting data in Georgia proved a computer algorithm was used to swing the election to President Joe Biden. A hand tally of paper ballots confirmed the election outcome, one of many indications the claim is false.

MyPillow CEO’s Video Rehashes Debunked Election Fraud Claims

February 5, 2021

A two-hour video, claiming to prove that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump, has been viewed tens of thousands of times online and aired on the cable channel One America News Network. But the video rehashes baseless conspiracy theories and debunked claims.

Posts Falsely Tie Myanmar Election to Dominion Voting Systems

February 3, 2021

Social media posts falsely claim that the November election in Myanmar was conducted using Dominion Voting Systems, the company that was the focus of bogus theories about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The company said its systems aren’t used in Myanmar, and there’s no indication that the country uses any voting machines.

Paul Cites Distortion to Argue ‘Two Sides’ in Election Fraud Debate

January 26, 2021

In calling for a “thorough investigation” into “election fraud,” Republican Sen. Rand Paul distorted the facts about a Wisconsin policy that was introduced by Republicans and put in place before the 2016 general election.

Flawed Calculation Behind False Claim of Fraudulent Votes

December 21, 2020

President Donald Trump and tens of thousands of others have shared a false claim on social media that there were “13 MILLION” more votes cast in the 2020 election than eligible voters who participated. That falsehood rests on a flawed calculation.

False Claim About Biden’s Win Probability

December 14, 2020

Facebook posts have repeated a false claim about a “one in a quadrillion” chance that President-elect Joe Biden received more votes than President Donald Trump in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Experts told us the claim misuses a questionable statistical analysis that made implausible assumptions about the 2020 election.

9 Election Fraud Claims, None Credible

December 11, 2020

A list of bogus election fraud claims, cobbled together from dubious websites and failed lawsuits aimed at overturning President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, has spread widely online.

False Claim of ‘Seized’ Voting Machines in Georgia

December 8, 2020

Viral posts falsely claim that Dominion voting machines were “seized” in Ware County, Georgia, and that votes were found to have been “switched” for Joe Biden. No such seizure occurred and there was no such finding, according to local and state election officials. Trump handily won the county with 70% of the vote.

Trump’s ‘Most Important’ Speech Was Mostly False

December 3, 2020

In what he billed as perhaps “the most important speech I’ve ever made,” President Donald Trump continued his attempt to deceive the American public into believing the election was “rigged.”

Baseless Conspiracy Theory Targets Another Election Technology Company

November 25, 2020

An unfounded conspiracy theory of widespread election fraud claims that an election technology company called Smartmatic switched votes in the 2020 election. But Smartmatic provided ballot-marking machines to only one U.S. county.

Fabricated Claim of Biden Campaign Official’s Arrest

November 17, 2020

A viral tale on social media falsely claims that a campaign official for President-elect Joe Biden was arrested in an illegal ballot-harvesting scheme in Texas. He has not been charged or arrested. The false claim stems from unverified allegations in an unsuccessful lawsuit brought by a group of Republicans.

Bogus Theory Claims Supercomputer Switched Votes in Election

November 13, 2020

A baseless conspiracy theory claims that a secret supercomputer was used to switch millions of votes from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Experts — and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — have said the theory is a hoax and that safeguards, including paper trails, would deter such an effort.