First, there was no massive fraud during the election on November 3. The Trump camp has been unsuccessful in nearly 60 ballot challenges in courts of all levels, in several states and even before judges who had been appointed by Donald Trump.
During all this time, he failed to prove that a single voter voted illegally. Not one. This is indisputable.
Trump’s campaign has said it has hundreds of sworn statements proving otherwise, but it has never submitted them to court review. And for good reason: if they were proven false by the court, their authors could have been prosecuted for perjury, which would obviously have discredited their cause.
There was no fraud: Joe Biden had seven million more votes than Donald Trump. He won the Electoral College by the same margin as Trump four years ago. All those responsible for these elections declared them valid.
The primacy of the popular verdict
But, at the very basis of democracy, there is a simple principle that has been flouted by President Trump: the rule of the popular verdict.
That the loser must accept his defeat, and that it will be the winner who will form the next government. The corollary being that the transfer of powers will be done in a calm and orderly manner.
There is another principle that is valid at all times: lies have consequences. Even more so when they come out of the mouth of a President of the United States. When President Trump refuses to admit defeat, he finds himself tricking his supporters into believing they have been wronged or robbed.
Of course, when he moves to make a speech to heat up his supporters and get them to march on Capitol Hill, as he did on Wednesday noon, he is clearly and deliberately choosing to add fuel to the fire.
No wonder we have seen this violent and unprecedented demonstration in the history of the United States degenerate to the point of threatening the elected representatives of the people.
