Trump Insists 'There Is So Much Proof' of 2020 Election Fraud in Latest Truth Social Outburst
Donald Trump is at it again, asserting in an early morning Truth Social post on Monday, April 17, that there is abundant evidence that the 2020 election was rigged. His comments come as Fox News faces a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, a voting machine manufacturer, over the network's alleged dissemination of falsehoods about the election.
The 76-year-old former president claimed, "THERE IS SOOO MUCH PROOF” of election fraud, citing debunked claims of "ballot stuffing" and FBI collusion. He urged Fox News to admit to the alleged election cheating and irregularities, stating, “IF FOX WOULD FINALLY ADMIT THAT THERE WAS LARGE SCALE CHEATING & IRREGULARITIES IN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WHICH WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THEM, & FOR AMERICA, THE CASE AGAINST THEM, WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE EXISTED AT ALL, WOULD BE GREATLY WEAKENED.” Trump also encouraged Fox to "BACK UP THOSE PATRIOTS AT FOX INSTEAD OF THROWING THEM UNDER THE BUS - & THEY ARE RIGHT!”
Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation case against Fox was scheduled to begin on April 17 but has been postponed to Tuesday, April 18, as Fox's attorneys attempt to reach an out-of-court settlement.
As previously reported by OK!, while Fox hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity promoted falsehoods on-air, they allegedly held different views privately. Parts of an email sent by Rupert Murdoch in 2021 were published in a court filing from Dominion Voting Systems on Monday, February 27.
In the email exchange between Rupert, his son Lachlan Murdoch (CEO of Fox Corporation), and Paul Ryan (board member at Fox Corporation), the elder Murdoch acknowledged that a significant portion of Americans believed Joe Biden did not win the election due to right-wing media propagating lies. Rupert replied to Ryan's message, stating, "Thanks Paul. Wake-up call for Hannity, who has been privately disgusted by Trump for weeks, but was scared to lose viewers."
Ryan advised Rupert and the network's hosts, including Hannity, Carlson, and Laura Ingraham, to counter the spread of falsehoods. "I truly hope our contributors, along with Tucker, Laura, and Sean get that and execute," Ryan wrote regarding the anchors.
Rupert expressed his belief that "everyone" was "disgusted" by Trump's lies, especially following the political turmoil sparked by the riots.