The “birther” conspiracy propagated by Donald Trump against Barack Obama laid the groundwork for what would later be known as “The Big Lie.” This term, initially coined by Adolf Hitler in “Mein Kampf,” refers to the tactic of using a massive falsehood to manipulate public opinion, predicated on the belief that the vastness of the lie ensures its credibility, as people would doubt that anyone could have the audacity to fabricate such an outrageous falsehood.
In the modern context, “The Big Lie” has come to denote the persistent falsehood perpetuated by Trump and his supporters that the 2020 election was fraudulently taken from him, despite the lack of evidence as demonstrated by the dismissal of over 60 lawsuits challenging the election results. This lie fueled the January 6 insurrection, anchoring the MAGA movement’s stance on “election denial.”
Biden VS Trump (Credits: ABC News)
A report released on March 7 by the United States Democracy Center, “States of Denial: Tracking Election Deniers in Key State Legislatures,” highlights 86 individuals within Pennsylvania’s General Assembly identified as “election deniers.”
These are individuals who, by supporting The Big Lie, implicitly endorse the actions of the insurrectionists on January 6. Many consider these actions not just anti-democratic but tantamount to terrorism and a betrayal of American democratic principles.
Trump VS Biden (Credits: PBS)
Given the gravity of these implications, it’s crucial for voters to critically evaluate the candidates running for office, particularly scrutinizing those who refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 election results or align themselves with the MAGA faction’s narrative of election denial.
The endorsement of The Big Lie not only undermines the foundation of American democracy but also legitimizes a dangerous precedent for dismissing electoral outcomes based not on evidence but on allegiance to unfounded conspiracy theories. Voters are urged to make informed decisions at the polls, rejecting candidates who propagate falsehoods that threaten the integrity of the nation’s democratic institutions.
