Trump Amplifies Debunked Claim That Venezuela Swayed the 2020 Election as U.S. Steps Up Pressure

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday reposted a podcast segment asserting a long-debunked theory that Venezuela manipulated electronic voting systems and cost him the 2020 election. The theory has been rejected in court and widely discredited, but the repost on his Truth Social account signaled renewed attention from the White House.

Justice Department officials have been interviewing proponents of the theory, including former CIA officer Gary Berntsen and Venezuelan expatriate Martin Rodil, who say they possess evidence of a scheme. The U.S. attorney in Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, has questioned them repeatedly, and the men have briefed a task force based in Tampa. The podcast appearance and a self-published book titled Stolen Elections have helped circulate the claims.

One major media outlet settled a defamation suit brought by Dominion Voting Systems for $787 million in 2023 over related allegations about voting-system manipulation. A judge also dismissed central elements of the Venezuela-related conspiracy theory in 2023, and numerous experts and officials have described the claims as implausible and unsupported by credible evidence.

Mr. Trump’s repost did not explicitly name Venezuela, but it echoed the podcast’s narrative. He added an emphatic call in his post: "We must focus all of our energy and might on ELECTION FRAUD!!"

At the same time, the administration has been tightening pressure on Venezuela. The U.S. has deployed significant military assets to the region, including a Navy aircraft carrier, and recently designated the Venezuela-linked group known as the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Treasury Department had earlier labeled the group a "specially designated global terrorist" organization, and a 2020 indictment alleged that President Nicolás Maduro leads the network.

"Who knows what the process is inside the White House," said David M. Rowe, a political science professor who studies national security. "If it captures Trump’s attention, my understanding is it is part of the process. Trump needs to find justification in his own mind for war."

Rowe noted that narcoterrorism claims have not strongly resonated with the former president’s core "America First" base, which has been wary of foreign intervention; allegations of direct interference in U.S. elections, he said, could provide a more persuasive rationale for stronger action.

Proponents of the Venezuela theory maintain they have evidence in the possession of the Justice Department. Critics — including some opposition figures who favor firm measures against the Maduro government — warn that activists and commentators promoting the theory may be exaggerating claims to gain access and influence inside the administration.

Experts and election-security authorities caution that amplifying debunked narratives about voting-system manipulation undermines public trust in elections and can be used to justify escalatory foreign-policy moves without clear, corroborated evidence.