The Dispatch Podcast – "Why is Trump Relitigating the 2020 Election?"
Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Steve Hayes
Guests: Mike Warren, John McCormick, Stephen Richer (former recorder of Maricopa County, AZ; Dispatch contributor; fellow at Cato Institute and Harvard Kennedy School; CEO of Republic Affairs)
Overview:
This episode explores the renewed efforts to revisit the 2020 presidential election, specifically focusing on the FBI’s recent seizure of over 600 boxes of ballots and materials from Fulton County, Georgia. With Trump and his allies insisting on revisiting past claims of fraud, the hosts—and guest Stephen Richer—break down why these matters are back in headlines, the role of right-wing media in perpetuating disputed claims, the implications for future election trust, and ongoing debates around mail-in ballots and voter ID laws.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Why is the 2020 Election Back in the News?
[02:02–04:18]
- The FBI recently seized 600+ boxes of 2020 election materials from Fulton County, Georgia—reigniting debates over the 2020 results.
- Stephen Richer admits there is no "good explanation" for the timing but notes the symbolic role of Fulton County as a perennial target:
"Fulton county has long been a critical part of some of our conversations about how elections are administered in the United States."
(Stephen Richer, 02:37) - The move seems driven by the Trump administration’s continued focus on unfounded fraud narratives, especially as MAGA-aligned Republicans have taken over the Georgia State Election Board.
2. Nature of Claims Against Fulton County
[04:18–08:04]
- The controversy centers on "zero tapes"—procedural election paperwork meant to show a ballot tabulator started from zero. MAGA influencers extrapolated missing paperwork to mean 315,000 fraudulent ballots.
- Richer asserts lack of some paperwork does not equate to mass fraud—other safeguards and data corroborate legitimacy.
3. The Role of Right-Wing Media in Churning Conspiracy Theories
[06:24–09:35]
- Mike Warren points out the amplification of minor mistakes into grand conspiracies by alternative media:
"That idea took off and seems to be animating the decisions by the government right now...They’re reading the blogs and kind of taking direction from them, right?"
(Mike Warren, 07:38) - Richer says fringe claims are often published without input from actual experts and notes that standard election procedures have always shown those claims lack substance.
- Calls the broader fight "a proxy war for the larger war on truth."
(Stephen Richer, 08:08)
4. Transparency in Early Voting and Verifying Fraud Claims
[09:35–11:06]
- Georgia, like most states, makes lists of early voters public, so a mass conspiracy would require silence from tens of thousands whose votes were allegedly falsified—something that has never happened.
- There is a strong, auditable paper trail to corroborate actual votes.
5. Georgia's Post-Election Audits and Safeguards
[12:35–14:56]
- In 2020, Georgia used 100% paper ballots and conducted three counts: the original, a hand recount, and a machine recount—all confirming the results.
- In errors, "none...was material for the purpose of the election" or evidence of intentional misconduct.
6. Legal Basis for the FBI Seizure: Is Anything New?
[14:56–19:53]
- Richer explains the government’s affidavit for the search warrant is "a total rehash of rejected and debunked claims":
"All the legal analysts...are a little flummoxed...[the agent] pretty much just took previous allegations and previous complaints and put them into this petition for a warrant as if they were new."
(Stephen Richer, 16:13) - DOJ has a Franks obligation to present mitigating and contrary evidence when seeking a warrant; Richer says this was largely ignored here.
7. The Corruption of DOJ and Future Implications
[23:14–29:35]
- Mike Warren calls current DOJ/FBI acts a direct result of Trump’s influence:
"[They're] pursuing something that has already been...a rehash of a rehash for that sole purpose of sort of satisfying the president’s desire to be proven right no matter what the facts say."
(Mike Warren, 24:09) - Stephen Richer notes the exodus of officials unwilling to support the president's agenda, citing recent resignations and a troubling trend:
"People who have ethical standards...are either being forced out or voluntarily leaving."
(Stephen Richer, 25:42)
8. Systemic Resilience and Nationalization Fears
[29:35–33:12]
- U.S. elections are decentralized, managed by 9,000+ local entities, making widespread fraud close to impossible.
- Trump’s push to nationalize or federalize election oversight worries participants, but current systems provide inherent safeguards.
9. Persistence of Fraud Narratives in MAGA Circles
[37:43–45:08]
- Steve Hayes describes firsthand the pervasiveness of election fraud claims at the grassroots level, especially in Republican primaries, where disputing the 2020 results now functions as a "litmus test," even more so than abortion in some areas.
- Richer likens faith in these narratives to religious belief:
"They’re not terribly rational. I think they're matters of faith...for a lot of people, this is a tribal marker for them."
(Stephen Richer, 45:37)
10. Mail-in Ballots: Myths and Reality
[40:05–45:08]
- Richer runs through Arizona’s robust mail ballot procedures: registration, barcodes, signature or SSN verification, bipartisan tabulation.
"Are there examples of garden variety fraud...with mail voting? Yes. Is there any evidence that it's significant? No."
(Stephen Richer, 44:21) - Instances of fraud are few, bipartisan, and prosecuted—mail ballots are secure.
11. Voter ID and the SAVE Act
[47:46–53:46]
- Richer supports both voter ID and proof of citizenship, provided implementation isn't unduly burdensome.
- Emphasizes that, in audits by red states (e.g., Utah, Georgia, Louisiana), only a minuscule number of noncitizens were found on rolls—and even fewer ever voted.
"We're talking about fractions of a percent...but we should run those audits."
(Stephen Richer, 52:07)
Notable Quotes & Moments
On "Alternative Facts":
"Democracy and election administration is a proxy war for the larger war on truth."
(Stephen Richer, 08:08)
On Why Fraud Claims Persist:
"There’s a way to make sense of a world that is evolving and that they don’t quite understand...for a lot of people, this is a tribal marker for them."
(Stephen Richer, 45:37)
On Systemic Safeguards:
"We have over 9,000 separate voting jurisdictions...the notion you can flip a switch or hack one machine...was always a fanciful one."
(Stephen Richer, 29:35)
On DOJ Drift:
"Increasingly the Justice Department and the FBI have fewer people who had that mentality of doing justice...and increasingly view...the FBI as an extension of the president's interests."
(Stephen Richer, 26:27)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:02] – Why is Fulton County in the news again?
- [04:18, 08:08] – How paperwork errors were inflated to conspiracy
- [12:35] – What the triple recounts revealed in Georgia
- [16:13] – Analysis of DOJ’s warrant affidavit and Franks obligation
- [25:42] – Ethical decline and resignations at DOJ/FBI
- [29:35] – Local vs. federal control of elections
- [40:05, 44:21] – Deep dive on mail-in ballots
- [47:46] – Rationale and evidence around voter ID/proof of citizenship
- [52:07] – Results from red state an audits for noncitizens
Tone & Style
- Candid and conversational, with dry humor and weariness over persistent misinformation
- Repeated emphasis on facts, transparency, and the importance of sober, ground-level understanding of election administration
- Skepticism about the sustainability of current civic norms given persistent bad faith narratives
Conclusion
The Dispatch Podcast team and Stephen Richer delivered a thorough, evidence-driven discussion on the resurgence of 2020 election narratives, exposing the circularity and baselessness of renewed claims in Georgia. They highlighted the crucial role of right-wing media, explained the multi-layered safeguards of American elections, and candidly explored deeper questions of trust, tribalism, and the future of election legitimacy—all while affirming that, despite current challenges, the distributed nature of U.S. election systems still resists large-scale manipulation.
For more, references to the discussed articles and Stephen Richer’s pieces are available in the show notes.