In the aftermath of a tightly contested US election, the phrase “Stop the Steal” surged into the public consciousness, becoming a rallying cry for those who believed the election was rigged. This narrative, fueled by allegations of widespread voter fraud, didn’t emerge spontaneously on election night. Its roots run deep, cultivated over months leading up to the vote, primarily through social media and amplified by influential voices. Understanding Stop The Steal Why it gained such traction requires examining the pre-election groundwork, the mechanisms of its spread, and the underlying factors that made it resonate with a significant portion of the population.
The Genesis of ‘Stop the Steal’: Trump’s Pre-Election Strategy
The seeds of the “Stop the Steal” movement were sown long before election day. Months in advance, then-President Donald Trump began to publicly question the integrity of the electoral process, particularly the increasing reliance on mail-in voting due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As early as April, Trump took to Twitter to broadcast claims of voter fraud, alleging that mail-in ballots were inherently susceptible to manipulation and would lead to a “rigged election.”
President Trump’s tweet from June 2020 claiming potential voter fraud, illustrating his early strategy to undermine election integrity.
These weren’t isolated instances. Leading up to November, Trump repeatedly mentioned “rigged elections” or “voter fraud” over 70 times on social media and in public addresses. In June, he tweeted about the potential for a “rigged 2020 Election,” and in August, he amplified his concerns, suggesting that the election was already being manipulated. This consistent messaging served to prime his supporters to distrust the election results should they not favor him. This pre-emptive narrative building was crucial in establishing the foundation for the “Stop the Steal” movement.
Social Media Amplification: How ‘Stop the Steal’ Gained Momentum
When the election results started to trickle in on the night of November 3rd, and as initial counts showed a tightening race, the pre-established narrative of a rigged election rapidly gained traction online. The hashtag #StopTheSteal emerged on Twitter, quickly becoming a central organizing point for those alleging voter fraud. Facebook groups with names like “Stop the Steal” sprang up overnight, amassing hundreds of thousands of members within days.
A Facebook group example that rapidly grew following the US Election, centered around the ‘Stop the Steal’ narrative.
Research revealed that influential right-wing accounts played a key role in amplifying these claims. These accounts, often retweeted by President Trump himself, disseminated misinformation and unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud to a massive audience. One example of this rapid spread of misinformation was a viral video claiming to show a poll watcher being wrongly denied entry to a polling station in Philadelphia. While the video was authentic, the context was misleading. The poll watcher was eventually admitted, and the situation was clarified, but the initial video, shared widely with the #StopTheSteal hashtag, had already gone viral, fueling the narrative of a rigged election.
These online spaces became echo chambers for misinformation, where users shared debunked claims and amplified each other’s suspicions. The sheer volume of content, even if false, created a perception of widespread fraud, convincing many that the election was being stolen.
Debunking the Claims: What’s Behind the ‘Steal’?
The “Stop the Steal” narrative was built upon a foundation of numerous specific allegations of voter fraud. These claims ranged from ballots being improperly handled to voting machines being rigged, and even accusations of dead people voting. One frequently cited claim involved allegations that certain types of pens, Sharpies, were being used to invalidate ballots in Arizona. This was quickly debunked by election officials, who clarified that Sharpies were indeed safe to use and would not affect ballot counting.
Another claim involved a man in Wisconsin who allegedly bragged about throwing away Trump ballots. However, upon investigation, it was revealed that the man lived in Michigan and had no connection to ballot counting in Wisconsin. His post was later admitted to be a joke, yet it circulated widely as “evidence” of fraud. Similarly, allegations of dead people voting were investigated and largely found to be cases of mistaken identity or administrative errors. In cases where deceased individuals were mistakenly sent ballots, authorities confirmed that such votes were discarded.
A ‘Stop the Steal’ sign at a protest, reflecting the movement’s central slogan and belief in election fraud.
Despite numerous investigations and recounts, no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud emerged that would have altered the outcome of the election. These debunked claims, however, continued to circulate within “Stop the Steal” circles, reinforcing the belief in a stolen election, regardless of factual evidence.
Conspiracy Theories: Fueling the ‘Stop the Steal’ Fire
The “Stop the Steal” movement was further amplified and legitimized by the pre-existing landscape of conspiracy theories, particularly QAnon. QAnon, a baseless conspiracy theory alleging a “deep state” cabal of Satanic pedophiles that President Trump was secretly fighting, had already fostered a deep distrust in institutions and mainstream narratives among its followers.
QAnon flags present at a Stop the Steal protest, illustrating the overlap between the movement and broader conspiracy theories.
Professor Whitney Phillips argues that QAnon provided a “narrative framework” that predisposed Trump supporters to believe in election fraud. The conspiracy theory’s emphasis on a hidden, corrupt elite actively working against Trump resonated with the “Stop the Steal” narrative, framing any unfavorable election outcome as further evidence of this deep state manipulation. This pre-existing conspiratorial mindset made it easier for individuals to accept unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and to view the election as illegitimate.
The Real Danger: Eroding Faith in Democracy
While concerns about potential violence associated with the “Stop the Steal” movement were present, experts like Professor Phillips emphasize a more insidious long-term threat: the erosion of faith in democratic institutions. The constant barrage of misinformation and the normalization of unsubstantiated allegations have had a corrosive effect on public trust in the electoral process.
For individuals like Candy, featured in the original article, who relied heavily on social media for election information and joined “Stop the Steal” groups, the constant exposure to these narratives, even when debunked, fostered a sense of distrust and grievance. This erosion of trust in the democratic process, fueled by the “Stop the Steal” myth, poses a significant challenge to the long-term health of democracy, even if the specific claims of widespread voter fraud have been repeatedly disproven. Understanding stop the steal why it resonated is crucial to addressing the broader issue of misinformation and rebuilding trust in democratic institutions.
