In August 2024, Patrick Byrne and a team of engineers and intelligence personnel hacked the Venezuelan election system.
Posted by Ask Dr. Drew, Checked
- Sources
- 3 contradict3 support1 context
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Ask Dr. DrewOct 21, 2026
The sources report that Patrick Byrne claimed to have hacked Venezuela's government and election systems, but none independently verifies a hack in August 2024. Media Matters and WIRED describe his Venezuela-election-hacking narrative as baseless, and the Carter Center found no evidence of a cyber attack on Venezuela's electoral system, though that statement addresses a different claimed attack.
What was said
… Same as I'll tell you that probably the most dramatic moment of my life, other than various times I've been told I've had cancer, which is now four, the most dramatic moment of my life is in August of 2024. I had these 15 engineers, some retired Green Berets protecting them, a CIA guy, a Venezuelan spook. I mean, we're all living together in a safe house in Switzerland, and we had just hacked the Venezuelan election in order to prevent them cheating. I'll come back and tell you about that if you want. General Michael Flynn came over to see us, and he wanted to see if this is real, and he's a very technical guy. …
Ask Dr. Drew · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. WIRED describes the Venezuela-linked election conspiracy theory Byrne promotes as 'based on no concrete evidence,' and Media Matters calls it a false conspiracy theory.[1][2]
Contradicts. The Carter Center said in August 2024 that it had no evidence Venezuela's electoral system was the target of a cyber attack, but this concerns the government's claimed attack on its own count, not Byrne's alleged hack.[3]
Supports. Byrne himself publicly claimed he and his team hacked the Venezuelan government and election system, as reported by Above the Law, HIS GLORY, and Wikipedia's account of his 2024 admissions.[4][5][6]
Context. Raw Story reports that Byrne's Venezuela election-software claims are a debunked claim, and that he said his team was briefing on Venezuela before the 2024 election; this does not independently confirm a hack.[7]
Context. The post itself is the claimant's own account and cannot corroborate the claim; the extracted wording adds the team of engineers and intelligence personnel as an actor, which the post describes only in its own words.
Sources
7 sources: 6 not rated, 1 tier 3
- 1Here's Why Trump Posted About Iran 'Stealing' the 2020 Election ...wired.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 2After Trump's address, election deniers claim vindication ...mediamatters.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 3'No Evidence' Of Venezuela Vote Hacking, Says Carter Center ...allsides.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 4Patrick M. Byrne - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Dominion Kraken Suit Veers Into 'Piano Wire And Blowtorch' Territory - Above the Lawabovethelaw.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6HIS GLORY on X: "Patrick Byrne says he’s revealing something ...x.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Election conspiracists claim Markwayne Mullin got them meeting with 2024 Trump campaignrawstory.com · tier 3 · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- The Venezuelan election commission was taken over 25 years ago by a group that built a computerized election system with a hackable back door.Can’t tell
- Patrick Byrne held a TS/SCI clearance and worked as a government agent.Can’t tell
- Patrick Byrne set up Hillary Clinton in a bribe.Can’t tell
- Venezuelan election manipulators have been manipulating elections for 20 years in 72 countries.Can’t tell
- The government recruited 15 Venezuelan engineers who built tricks into voting machines.Can’t tell