In a lengthy court filing on Wednesday, lawyers for President Donald Trump and his campaign identified the alleged “Patient Zero” of unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election ― Russian interference.
In a footnote to the filing, the Trump lawyers summed up their claim, noting that “Russia’s interference in the 2016 Presidential election alerted many to a threat to the election process that extends beyond domestic concerns.” They said that this “Russian interference spawned claims, much like the present ones, that the 2020 election was stolen through facial manipulation of ballots and other fraudulent activities,” and that they had discovered the alleged “Patient Zero” of these claims.
The Trump lawyers cited evidence that Russian government-linked actors posted content on social media early on election night that “sought to incite animosity and cast doubt” on the validity of the election, suggesting possible widespread fraud. The Trump campaign lawyers wrote that “nothing could be further from the truth” and that this Russian interference created a “false narrative” about the election.
