Trump’s Election Lies Aren’t Old News — Journalists Must Keep Calling Them Out in 2026

Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election are not relics of the past. They are very much alive and dangerous, especially as we barrel toward the 2026 midterms. Arnold Isaacs, a seasoned journalist and former Baltimore Sun reporter, is sounding the alarm in a new letter to the media. His message is clear: journalists must treat Trump’s election fraud lies as a live, urgent story — not something to gloss over as “old news.”

Trump has repeatedly insisted without evidence that the 2020 election was rigged against him, including a recent tweet claiming it has “been conclusively proven to be stolen.” But every one of 64 court cases challenging the election results failed to produce any proof. Not a single official investigation or recount validated his claims. Isaacs points reporters to a 2022 report, “Lost, Not Stolen,” authored by a bipartisan panel of conservatives, which thoroughly debunks the fraud narrative. The report concludes there was “absolutely no evidence of fraud” on a scale that could have affected the election outcome.

Even Trump’s own former allies, Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Bill Barr, publicly rejected the fraud claims and affirmed Joe Biden’s legitimate victory. Yet Trump’s lies persist, fueling a dangerous distrust in the democratic process.

Isaacs urges journalists to go beyond simple fact-checking. Instead of just tagging Trump’s statements as “false,” reporters should provide detailed context and evidence to dismantle these claims for their audiences. This is not just about accuracy — it’s about protecting the very integrity of American democracy, which remains under threat from election denialism.

As Republicans flip state legislative seats and the Supreme Court hints at restricting mail-in voting, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Journalists must cover not only the candidates but also the ongoing attacks on the electoral system itself. Isaacs’ call to action is urgent: hold the powerful accountable, expose the lies, and remind the public why these falsehoods must never be allowed to take root.

Because if the press fails to do this, the survival of democracy itself may be at risk.