Experts weigh in on how the president’s baseless accusations of voter fraud are impacting American society
Video by Caleb Hooper
Infographic by Alexandra Holyk
Story By Stephanie Davoli
U.S. President Donald Trump continues to advance political divides in America as he files lawsuits in five states after making accusations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump and his team have filed lawsuits in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada in an attempt to overturn the election results.
While experts say that it is unlikely that Trump’s legal tactics will change the outcome of the election, some worry that his actions will have a damaging impact on American society and politics.
“A big worry of mine and the other people I speak with is that it took over 200 years for the U.S. to build up its reputation as the leading light of democracy and only four short years to destroy this reputation,” said Michael Bociurkiw, a global analyst contributor for CNN Opinion. “It’s going to be a long rebuilding process to happen now.”
Political polarization within America has continued since it was announced that Democratic candidate Joe Biden won the election on Nov. 7.
Many Americans are also divided on issues such as who should be allowed to vote.
A study conducted by Pew Research Center found that approximately 86 per cent of Trump supporters view ineligible voters casting ballots as a serious issue, while approximately 49 per cent of Biden supporters feel the same way.
On Nov. 14, thousands of Trump supporters took to downtown Washington as they participated in the “Million MAGA March,” where many chanted phrases such as “stop the steal” in response to the president’s claims of voter fraud.
As a result of Trump’s refusal to accept election results, his followers continue to be vocal in their support of the president.
“Politically, is it worth it to stick around and keep beating this horse about there being fraud?” I guess because that keeps him really strong in the Republican party. People will legitimately think this election was stolen,” said Stephanie Plante, director of the centre for security, intelligence and defence studies at Carleton University. “Trump still holds a lot of power.”
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