Republican ‘big lie’ supporters triumph in sign of Trump’s enduring power

Hard-right candidates who challenged 2020 result win string of primary victories on a good night too for progressive Democrats

Republican candidates who questioned, denied and challenged the results of the 2020 presidential election won a string of consequential primaries in Pennsylvania and North Carolina this week, a testament to the enduring power of Donald Trump's voter fraud myth, which continues to animate the hard-right movement he started.

In a campaign season dominated by angst over the economy and frustration with leadership in Washington, several hard-right candidates successfully channeled conservative grassroots momentum, and are now in striking distance of positions that will have enormous influence over voting and elections administration in battleground states across the country.