schema:text
| - The directive was contingent on whether or not "we ... solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020," referring to the repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory that illegal voting helped Joe Biden win the presidency.
On Oct. 13, 2021, a popular Reddit thread claimed former U.S. President Donald Trump urged Republican supporters not to vote in 2022 or 2024 elections.
The thread included a link to an article on The Daily Beast that cited a statement from Trump supposedly issuing the directive.
That statement was authentic, confirming the claim of this fact check is true. By going to donaldjtrump.com — the website where, after his suspension from mainstream social media sites, Trump lists his political goals, solicits donations, and posts statements in response to current events — Snopes found the below-displayed message:
In other words, it was true that Trump on Oct. 13 told Republicans to withhold their votes in the 2022 midterm and 2024 presidential elections "if we don't solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020." That ultimatum was referring to the repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory that Democrats had coordinated a grand scheme to illegally hike voter tallies or conceal ballots to undermine Trump's reelection.
After polls closed on Election Day, conservative media pundits played into the conspiracy by promoting a variety of false stories — ranging from a chicken barn fire in Arizona supposedly destroying votes to late-night vote "dumps" allegedly helping Biden win key battleground states.
Nonetheless, considering the indisputable evidence on Trump's website that he told supporters to sit out the upcoming elections, we rate this claim "True."
See also from Snopes:
- Did Trump Launch 2024 Presidential Campaign?
- Did Boxing Champ Joe Frazier Vote 'From His Grave'?
- Did Georgia Poll Workers Hide 'Suitcases' of Ballots From Republican Observers?
- Did a Man Forge His Dead Wife's Vote for Trump?
- Did a Conservative News Site Admit Its Voter-Fraud Claims Were False?
- Poll workers in Georgia's Senate runoff election illegally uncovered 50,000 ballots in the early morning hours of Jan. 6, 2021?
|