Secrets are no stranger to Trumpworld. There are his tax returns, his payoffs to mistresses, his non-disclosure agreements, and even his buy-offs of negative stories. The one secret he has been keeping under wraps is that he may not even believe the Big Lie.
Yes, this is Trump’s dirty secret.
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Let’s face it, Trump has been rehearsing the Big Lie since 2016 when he expected to lose to Hillary Clinton. Even before the first votes were cast, Trump was spouting about voter fraud and a rigged election. He was hoping to springboard his loss into a right-wing news outlet similar to Newsmax or OAN. Despite being declared the election winner via the Electoral College, Trump continued to rant about a “rigged election” because he didn’t win the popular vote.
The Trump Show
To understand why Trump may not believe the Big Lie, you first need to take a step into the bizzaro realm that is Trump World. Trump treated every new day like it was a new episode of a reality television show. He angrily berated Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney for coughing when Trump was being interviewed, then demanded they do another “take”. It’s entirely possible that Mulvaney was coughing to drown out the latest outlandish lie, but we will never know.
Even Trump’s hospitalization for coronavirus was heavily choreographed, with a carefully staged exit from the White House, a photo op with blank papers to make it appear he was working and in good health, an appearance to appease his adoring fans while putting Secret Service at risk and finally, a triumphant return to the White House complete with a Hollywood moment where he stood, maskless, to demonstrate his invulnerability.
Except even this was fraud. Staffers hid how ill Trump actually was. He was only convinced to go to Walter Reed when staffers informed him that if he waited any longer, he would be unable to walk into the hospital.
These contrived or otherwise staged situations give credence to the possibility that the Big Lie is also just another manufactured “crisis”.
Voter Suppression, Audits and the Insurrection
Every product has a slogan to promote it, and while it’s not Coke vs. Pepsi, “Stop the Steal” was the motivating cry behind the January 6th insurrection and the efforts in many Republican led states to create barriers to the most fundamental American right: the right to vote. These efforts are all an attempt to support the Big Lie, and ultimately to subvert the will of the people by demanding the results of the 2020 presidential election be overturned.
With at least 14 states passing legislation to limit the right to vote, particularly among minority populations, Republicans are attempting to gain an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections, and ultimately to regain the White House in 2024. By limiting early voting, mail-in ballots and other measures making it easier to vote, Republicans hope to discourage those who presumably would support Democratic candidates and sweep themselves into leadership roles in both the House and Senate.
While several states have already held election audits, there are still demands to revisit the results in those states where Joe Biden won. Led by Arizona, private companies are seeking access to the voting records in many swing states. By continuing to dispute the results, Trump and his supporters hope to somehow reinstate him into the Oval Office. Led by conspiracy theorists, such as the My Pillow guy, Mike Lindell, there is the mistaken belief that there is some way to negate the 2020 election in favor of Donald Trump.
Those who came to Washington on January 6th were invited to join what was billed as a “Stop the Steal” rally. It coincided, not coincidentally, with the certification of the 2020 election results which would affirm Joe Biden’s victory. Once there, they were incited by Donald Trump and others to march on Congress to prevent the results from being certified. With such incendiary comments as “kicking ass and taking names” and “trial by combat”, coupled with Trump’s own words, the mob followed their instructions to attempt to overrun the Capitol.
In what resembled a Third World political uprising, the insurrectionists received their marching orders and followed them to the letter, seeking to execute their political opponents much like a Third World coup. Instead of protecting those in Congress, and even his own Vice President, Trump was reportedly delighted as he watched the insurrection unfold on television.
The Ultimate Reason
So, what is Donald Trump’s ultimate reason in keeping the issue of the 2020 election alive? Surely he doesn’t really believe in the Big Lie. Instead, he is using the controversy to his financial advantage.
While he continues to hint at a 2024 run, by not openly declaring his candidacy, any donations he receives can be used for anything he wants. While his fundraising appeals have purported to be for his “legal defense” or his future campaign, the fine print on these appeals allows him to basically keep the money. To date, donations have topped $100 million. Like the now defunct Trump University, it’s all a big con. And Trump is laughing all the way to the bank.
Therefore, the motives behind the Big Lie are purely mercenary. It’s not about who won or lost. It’s about how much he can bilk from his supporters. The Big Lie is just another Big Con, and Donald Trump doesn’t believe a word of it! It’s all about the dollar signs.
That’s Donald Trump’s dirty secret.