Following U.S. military action against Iranian targets, former President Donald Trump made a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming Iran interfered with both the 2020 and 2024 U.S. elections. The posts included an unsubstantiated allegation that Iran sought to undermine his campaigns and suggested the recent attacks were partly in response.
Trump cited a report from the conspiracy-focused outlet Just the News, which vaguely asserted that Iran engaged in a “sophisticated election influence effort.” The White House has not commented on whether these claims influenced the decision to strike Iranian targets.
The context matters: Trump’s assertions revive long-discredited conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged. Since returning to office, his administration appears willing to use these debunked claims to justify policy decisions, including aggressive military action. This raises concerns about the role of misinformation in high-level foreign policy.
The core of Trump’s claims rests on a broader conspiracy theory promoted by figures like Patrick Byrne, who allege Iran helped hide financial trails related to alleged election rigging schemes involving Venezuela and China. Byrne’s claims, presented in a lengthy online presentation, have no verifiable evidence. The theory centers on Smartmatic, a voting software company repeatedly accused of rigging elections; Smartmatic has successfully sued media outlets for defamation.
Despite lacking evidence, this conspiracy theory has reached Trump through intermediaries such as Peter Ticktin, a lawyer who has known Trump since their time at military school. Ticktin has circulated a draft executive order that would allow Trump to declare an emergency and seize control of U.S. elections based on alleged foreign interference.
The reality of Iranian interference: While Trump promotes unsubstantiated claims, there are documented cases of Iranian election interference. The Justice Department charged two Iranians in 2021 for targeting U.S. voters, and three Iranian hackers were indicted in 2024 for compromising the Trump campaign. However, these instances are distinct from the convoluted conspiracy theories Trump embraces.
Trump himself acknowledged Iran’s involvement in alleged plots to harm him during the 2024 election, stating, “They tried twice.” He also claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the recent attacks.
The situation underscores a dangerous trend: the integration of baseless conspiracy theories into presidential decision-making. This raises questions about the reliability of information influencing U.S. foreign policy and the potential for escalation based on unverified claims.
Ultimately, Trump’s posts demonstrate a willingness to conflate unsubstantiated election fraud allegations with military action, creating a volatile and potentially destabilizing situation.
