# Trump still claims he won in 2020 - wouldn't that invalidate his election in 2024? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 1, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086 "2026-08-01T19:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/1 "2026-08-01T19:58:35Z")
If Trump won in 2020 (obviously he didn’t) that would mean he was elected for a third time in 2024. This would be in violation 22nd Amendment which says that no person can be elected more than twice. It seems to me that if Trump wants to insist that he won in 2020 then he should resign since his election in 2024 would be illegal. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/2 "2026-08-01T20:18:32Z")
You’re thinking this through a lot more than Trump is. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/3 "2026-08-01T20:22:54Z")
> [@X.L.Lent](#): > > It seems to me that > if Trump wants to insist that he won in 2020 then he should resign since > his election in 2024 would be illegal. And people that knowingly exceed the speed limit should turn themselves in at the local police station. The latter is more likely to happen than the former, btw. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/4 "2026-08-01T20:29:28Z")
I always figured it was the number of terms you served and not how many elections you won. You could theoretically win numerous elections, but you could only be sworn into office as president twice. Do I have that wrong?. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/5 "2026-08-01T20:38:24Z")
It’s the number of elections not the number of terms. From the text of the 22nd amendment: _No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once._ ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/6 "2026-08-01T20:38:33Z")
Trump has already said repeatedly that since his second term was “stolen” he is owed a third and fourth and so on. He does not care what the actual rules are. There is always a Trump exception to any rule other than the statute of limitations. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/7 "2026-08-01T21:09:02Z")
From your local neighborhood organization to The Supreme Court Of The United States Of America, an unenforced law is pretty much the equivalent to a polite suggestion, and Trump knows this. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/8 "2026-08-02T00:31:54Z")
Logically, you are correct, but would you really Vance as president? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/9 "2026-08-02T00:45:05Z")
I don’t know, you naughty boy; I’ve never Vanced! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/10 "2026-08-02T00:46:43Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > but would you really Vance as president? Not really. But he would be better than Trump. I’m sure he be just as bad on the big things, but we wouldn’t be dealing with the daily bullshit like destroying the White House or renaming the Kennedy center. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/11 "2026-08-02T00:49:41Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Logically, you are correct, but would you really Vance as president? One at a time. Step up Vance, you could be the next President impeached. Meaning that we can’t be afraid to get rid of absolutely horrible to replace it with real horrible. You have to start somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/12 "2026-08-02T01:08:58Z")
May I be pedantic for a moment? It’s the Electoral College that actually elects the President. Now Trump claims that the _popular_ votes that were stolen from him would have given him the electoral vote. But they were stolen, sohe didn’t get the elecctoral vote. Therefore he won, but he wasn’t “elected” and therefore deserved a second term anyway. To understand Trump’s world, you have to imagine “quotes” around a lot of things. ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/13 "2026-08-02T19:10:19Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/14 "2026-08-02T19:12:14Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Trump has already said repeatedly that since his second term was “stolen” he is owed a third and fourth and so on. He does not care what the actual rules are. There is always a Trump exception to any rule other than the statute of limitations. Trump is the most entitled idiot ever elected President. Hopefully, we will never have another worse idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/15 "2026-08-03T00:08:08Z")
I came back to this thread to say what @Kent_Clark said–that the actual election is when the electoral college votes so Trump wasn’t elected in 2020 regardless what Trump “thinks”. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/16 "2026-08-03T00:25:14Z")
Yep. He was elected in 2021, but they wouldn’t certify the votes. ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/17 "2026-08-03T15:33:48Z")
And you, of course, have proof of that? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/18 "2026-08-03T15:47:49Z")
I won’t Vance Don’t ask me ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/19 "2026-08-03T16:28:37Z")
> [@bashere](#): > > And you, of course, have proof of that? You’ll need to ask the President directly, since his own Justice Department can’t seem to find the vote stealing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086/20 "2026-08-04T04:38:21Z")
Trump had all those alternative electors, don’t you remember? It was the purpose behind January 6. Those patriots storming the capital because traitor Pence wouldn’t reject the votes.\[1\] * * * 1. And since you may not know me, I am of course being extremely sarcastic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-still-claims-he-won-in-2020-wouldnt-that-invalidate-his-election-in-2024/1032086.md?page=2)