Donald Trump's victory in 2024 shifted the narrative, reducing the urgency and controversy surrounding election fraud claims compared to his loss in 2020.
Election officials experienced a quieter, less contentious environment in 2024, with fewer disputes and fewer observers compared to the heightened tensions of 2020.
Trump's acceptance of his win reduced the incentive for his supporters to push election fraud claims, as the outcome aligned with their expectations.
Some seized on discrepancies in vote totals, particularly Kamala Harris receiving fewer votes than Joe Biden in 2020, to argue that the 2020 election was indeed fraudulent.
Leaders like Trump set the tone, and their acceptance or denial of election results significantly impacts whether their supporters act on or spread fraud claims.
While some distrust may be malleable and influenced by political leaders' messaging, a significant portion of the population remains distrustful, which could persist even if the movement loses mainstream support.
Despite Trump's win, some individuals and groups continue to profit from election denial by monetizing their claims through events, documentaries, and books, though the overall impact on their audience may diminish.
Donald Trump's election win took the wind from the sails of his election fraud conspiracy movement. Following Vice President Harris' concession, the early stages of post-election administration went smoothly and largely without controversy, a stark contrast to the aftermath of the 2020 election. But are election lies going away?This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shiviram, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and correspondent Shannon Bond.*The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at *plus.npr.org/politics).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)