President Donald Trump claims that the only way Democrats can win in 2026 is if they cheat.
Posted by Americast, Checked
- Sources
- 8 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
AmericastSep 16, 2026
As of 2026-09-16, Trump had repeatedly said Democrats can only win by cheating, and multiple sources (NPR in March 2026, the State of the Union remarks, and Reuters/USA Today reporting that he 'regularly accused Democrats of cheating to win elections') document this assertion.
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What was said
… Will not In any way interfere. In the will of the American people when they. Go to the polls in November. I pledge unequivocally that I will not participate in your charade of lies. Then why are you being such a panderer? To President Trump Trump, who's still claiming that he won the 2020 election, and who has said the only way Democrats can win in 2026 is if they cheat. Do you believe that? What I believe in is. The rule of law what I will always believe. The rule of law. Saying in advance are you done with your campaign ads Yes, you can hear how controversial an idea that is. …
Americast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. In a State of the Union address and again in March 2026, Trump said 'the only way they can get elected is to cheat,' as quoted by NPR and KPBS.[3][4][5]
Supports. Reuters and USA Today report that leading up to the midterms Trump has regularly accused Democrats of cheating to win elections, without presenting evidence.[6][7]
Supports. FactCheck.org reports Trump said Democrats 'voted against voter ID because they want to cheat' in midterm rally remarks, and AP reports he has used midterm rallies to say Democrats cheat.[1][2]
Supports. Yahoo reports Trump wrote on Truth Social that 'The only way she can lose is if they cheat,' tying the cheating theme to the 2026 Minnesota Senate race in late October.[8]
Context. The sources note that Trump provided no evidence for these claims and that opposing voting legislation does not mean Democrats want to cheat, so the claim reflects his assertion rather than a documented fact.[1][3][6]
Sources
8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 2, 5 not rated
- 1FactChecking Claims from Trump’s Midterm Ralliesfactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Stolen election rhetoric from Trump isn't new. His ability to act on those claims isapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3Trump says Democrats must cheat to win. What do his ...npr.org · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 4Trump says Democrats must cheat to win. What do his supporters ...kpbs.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Trump says Democrats must cheat to win. What do his ... - NPR Illinoisnprillinois.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Trump says he'll respect midterm results 'if they're honest elections'rmb.reuters.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 7Trump says he'll respect midterm results 'if they're honest ...usatoday.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8Trump: I'll Accept Results if Elections Are Honestyahoo.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post