On the main stage at the Republican National Convention this week, some Trump campaign trademarks have been missing. There have been no celebrations of Jan. 6 rioters and no talk of election “mules” smuggling ballots. Even references to Democrats “cheating” in elections are so spare they could be easy to miss.
But across the street, a different narrative unfolded. In the bustling media row, right-wing activists fueled by former President Donald J. Trump’s falsehoods about the 2020 election were actively engaged. Podcasters exchanged ideas about implementing paper ballots and hand counts. Mike Lindell, the outspoken founder of a pillow company and a prominent promoter of election fraud conspiracy theories, gave interviews discussing rigged voting machines. Rudolph W. Giuliani, a key figure in Mr. Trump’s campaign to overturn the 2020 election results, held court in close proximity.
While the Republican Party has largely marginalized this group during the main, prime-time events, opting instead for more politically acceptable messages, the base’s skepticism about election legitimacy persists. Despite the absence of substantial evidence supporting widespread fraud claims, certain party members attribute losses in the 2022 midterms to candidates with extreme stances on voting and democracy. Democrats capitalized on the narrative of combating Republican “extremism” in 2022, a theme that continues to be a cornerstone of President Biden’s criticisms.
Amid polls indicating a growing lead for Mr. Trump, some within the denial movement are contemplating how to validate a potential victory within a system they have vehemently criticized for years.
While some individuals in media row acknowledge and endorse their party’s strategic decision as pragmatic and astute—avoiding alienating more casual and uninformed viewers by steering clear of the intricate details of their election theories.
| Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s leading lawyer, at the convention |
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