Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s Role in Disputing the 2020 Election Results
As the presidential election results were finalized and heading to a formal vote at the Electoral College in December 2020, Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel stood firm in her support of President Trump’s refusal to concede. Despite key campaign aides informing Trump of his loss and finding no credible evidence of fraud, McDaniel continued to dispute the outcome.
In an appearance on Fox News with Sean Hannity, McDaniel claimed that every illegal vote was stealing from a valid vote and accused states of conducting fraudulent elections. Her efforts to help Trump dispute his loss drew attention to her role in the post-election chaos.
While McDaniel faced scrutiny for her involvement, she was not the most aggressive member of Trump’s team. However, she played a significant part in supporting Trump’s legal and political maneuvers leading up to the violent events on January 6.
From setting up hotlines to collecting accounts of suspicious activities, McDaniel worked closely with Trump’s legal team to challenge the election results. She repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and promoted hearings where allies presented bogus evidence.
Despite facing criticism for her involvement in promoting conspiracy theories, McDaniel continued to support Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results. She even helped rally state attorneys general to join a Supreme Court lawsuit challenging results in four states, which was ultimately rejected.
As the Electoral College confirmed Biden’s victory, McDaniel was involved in discussions about using alternate electors to make Trump the winner. However, she claimed to be misled about the plan and was “out of the loop” on pressuring Vice President Pence to block certification.
In the aftermath of the Capitol riot, McDaniel condemned the violence and acknowledged Biden’s win. Despite this, she oversaw the expansion of the party’s “election integrity” teams, working with activists still committed to falsehoods about the 2020 election.
While McDaniel admitted that Biden won “fair and square,” she maintained that there were problems in the 2020 election. Her role in disputing the results has drawn attention and criticism, highlighting the challenges faced by the Republican Party in the aftermath of the contentious election.
