1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I heard the nonsense, did you? Do something! The continued repetition of unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election from a Presidential platform is irresponsible and dangerous. Courts reviewed the allegations. Election officials, including many Republicans, reviewed the allegations. Recounts and audits were conducted. Yet the same claims continue to be recycled as fact. Colorado’s elections work. My Montrose pcounty’s elections work. Republican, Democrat, and independent voters alike participate in a system that is transparent, secure, and trusted. Disagreements over policy are normal; telling citizens that election results can only be legitimate when their side wins is not. We have spent years warning about foreign disinformation campaigns designed to undermine confidence in American democracy. Yet some of the most damaging attacks on public trust now come from within our own political system. When national leaders repeatedly suggest that elections are rigged without credible evidence, they do the work of America’s adversaries for them. Using a Presidential Address to revive conspiracy theories about 2020 appears designed to prepare supporters to question future election results, including the 2026 midterms, if those results are unfavorable. We have already seen the consequences of convincing people that democracy has failed when evidence says otherwise. Please speak out. Defend election integrity where it exists. Correct falsehoods when they are repeated. Remind Americans that confidence in elections depends on facts, not speculation. Silence is not leadership.