Donald Trump’s indictment this week asserted that he knowingly spread lies about the 2020 election in an attempt to overthrow the results and deny Americans their voting rights. Trump has dismissed the charges as “fake” and “un-American,” continuing to falsely claim that the election was stolen. The indictment also suggests that Trump had assistance from co-conspirators who manufactured and promoted the lies that fueled his election theft attempt. While these allies were not charged in the indictment, their contributions to the culture of election denial cannot be ignored.
Several of these alleged co-conspirators have continued to support Trump even after the indictment. Sidney Powell, identified as “Co-Conspirator 3,” has shared articles that perpetuate baseless claims of election fraud. John Eastman, identified as “Co-Conspirator 2,” has criticized the charges against Trump and defended his actions. Rudy Giuliani, identified as “Co-Conspirator 1,” has portrayed the indictment as an infringement on free speech, despite the evidence suggesting Trump’s involvement in multiple conspiracies.
The spread of Trump’s false claims was facilitated by others in the GOP who adopted and amplified these lies. Claims of fraudulent “ballot dumps” were widely circulated, even though they were often just legitimate tallies of urban center votes being uploaded at once. The variety of sources and supporters for these false claims was overwhelming, with individuals like Matt Walsh and Jesse Binnall perpetuating the falsehoods in press conferences and lawsuits.
Despite Trump’s indictment, these supporters have shown no signs of changing their stance. Some have even called for action against the special prosecutor and continue to espouse conspiracy theories.