Donald Trump

=== 2020 presidential election ===
{{Main|2020 United States presidential election}}
{{See also|2020 United States Postal Service crisis}}

Starting in spring 2020, Trump began to sow doubts about the election, claiming without evidence that the election would be rigged and that the expected widespread use of mail balloting would produce massive election fraud.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-wants-to-cut-mail-in-voting-the-republican-machine-is-helping-him-392428|title=Trump aides exploring executive actions to curb voting by mail|last=Kumar|first=Anita|date=August 8, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=August 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html|title=Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts.|first1=Stephanie|last1=Saul|author-link1=Stephanie Saul|first2=Reid J.|last2=Epstein|date=August 31, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> When, in August, the House of Representatives voted for a $25&nbsp;billion grant to the U.S. Postal Service for the expected surge in mail voting, Trump blocked funding, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/|title=Trump says Postal Service needs money for mail-in voting, but he'll keep blocking funding|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 12, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 14, 2020}}</ref> He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results if he lost and commit to a [[peaceful transition of power]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-declines-to-say-whether-he-will-accept-november-election-results/2020/07/19/40009804-c9c7-11ea-91f1-28aca4d833a0_story.html|title=Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results|last=Sonmez|first=Felicia|author-link=Felicia Sonmez|date=July 19, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Ryan|last1=Browne|first2=Barbara|last2=Starr|author-link2=Barbara Starr|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/pentagon-election-insurrection-act/|title=As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 25, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref>

Biden won the election on November 3, receiving 81.3&nbsp;million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2&nbsp;million (46.8 percent)<ref name="vote1">{{cite web|title=Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-president.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref name="vote2">{{cite web|title=2020 US Presidential Election Results: Live Map|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2020-us-presidential-election-results-live-map|work=[[ABC News]]|date=December 10, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref> and 306 [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] votes to Trump's 232.<ref name="formalize">{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|first1=Josh|last1=Holder|first2=Trip|last2=Gabriel|author-link2=Trip Gabriel|first3=Isabella Grullón|last3=Paz|title=Biden's 306 Electoral College Votes Make His Victory Official|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/14/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html}}</ref> 

==== False claims of voting fraud, attempt to prevent presidential transition ====
{{Further|Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|2020–21 United States election protests|Election denial movement in the United States}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege2020 with results.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|2020 Electoral College results; Trump lost 232–306.|alt=Electoral college map, depicting Trump winning many states in the South and Rocky Mountains and Biden winning many states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific West]]
At 2 a.m. the morning after the election, with the results still unclear, Trump declared victory.<ref>{{cite web|title=With results from key states unclear, Trump declares victory|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-election-trump-statement/with-results-from-key-states-unclear-trump-declares-victory-idUKKBN27K0U3|access-date=November 10, 2020|work=[[Reuters]]|date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> After Biden was projected the winner days later, Trump stated that "this election is far from over" and baselessly alleged election fraud.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/|title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race|last=King|first=Ledyard|date=November 7, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> Trump and his allies filed many [[Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election|legal challenges to the results]], which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both the [[State court (United States)|state]] and [[United States federal courts|federal courts]], including by federal judges appointed by Trump himself, finding no factual or legal basis.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html|date=December 12, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|title='The last wall': How dozens of judges across the political spectrum rejected Trump's efforts to overturn the election|first1=Rosalind S.|last1=Helderman|author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman|first2=Elise|last2=Viebeck|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Blake|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/14/most-remarkable-rebukes-trumps-legal-case-judges-he-hand-picked/|title=The most remarkable rebukes of Trump's legal case: From the judges he hand-picked|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Trump's allegations were also refuted by state election officials.<ref>{{cite web|last=Woodward|first=Calvin|title=AP Fact Check: Trump conclusively lost, denies the evidence|url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-trump-conclusively-lost-bbb9d8c808021ed65d91aee003a7bc64|access-date=November 17, 2020|work=[[AP News]]|date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> After [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] director [[Chris Krebs]] contradicted Trump's fraud allegations, Trump dismissed him on November 17.<ref name="BBC_election">{{cite web|date=November 18, 2020|title=Trump fires election security official who contradicted him|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54982360|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> On December 11, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear [[Texas v. Pennsylvania|a case from the Texas attorney general]] that asked the court to overturn the election results in four states won by Biden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election|first=Adam|last=Liptak|author-link=Adam Liptak|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

Trump withdrew from public activities in the weeks following the election.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=November 21, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|first=David|last=Smith|title=Trump's monumental sulk: president retreats from public eye as Covid ravages US|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/21/trump-monumental-sulk-president-retreats-from-public-eye-covid-ravages-us}}</ref> He initially blocked government officials from cooperating in [[presidential transition of Joe Biden|Biden's presidential transition]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lamire|first1=Jonathan|last2=Miller|first2=Zeke|title=Refusing to concede, Trump blocks cooperation on transition|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-2d39186996f69de245e59c966d4d140f|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=November 10, 2020|date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Timm|first1=Jane C.|last2=Smith|first2=Allan|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-stonewalling-biden-s-transition-here-s-why-it-matters-n1247768|title=Trump is stonewalling Biden's transition. Here's why it matters.|work=[[NBC News]]|date=November 14, 2020|access-date=November 26, 2020}}</ref> After three weeks, the administrator of the [[General Services Administration]] declared Biden the "apparent winner" of the election, allowing the disbursement of transition resources to his team.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rein|first=Lisa|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-emily-murphy-transition-biden/2020/11/23/c0f43e84-2de0-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html|title=Under pressure, Trump appointee Emily Murphy approves transition in unusually personal letter to Biden|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> Trump still did not formally concede while claiming he recommended the GSA begin transition protocols.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Naylor|first1=Brian|last2=Wise|first2=Alana|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/23/937956178/trump-administration-to-begin-biden-transition-protocols|title=President-Elect Biden To Begin Formal Transition Process After Agency OK|work=[[NPR]]|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ordoñez|first1=Franco|last2=Rampton|first2=Roberta|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/26/939386434/trump-is-in-no-mood-to-concede-but-says-will-leave-white-house|title=Trump Is In No Mood To Concede, But Says Will Leave White House|work=[[NPR]]|date=November 26, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref>

The Electoral College formalized Biden's victory on December 14.<ref name="formalize" /> From November to January, Trump repeatedly sought help to [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|overturn the results]], personally pressuring Republican local and state office-holders,<ref>{{cite news|last=Gardner|first=Amy|title='I just want to find 11,780 votes': In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html|access-date=January 20, 2021|date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> Republican state and federal legislators,<ref name="pressure">{{cite web|last1=Kumar|first1=Anita|last2=Orr|first2=Gabby|last3=McGraw|first3=Meridith|title=Inside Trump's pressure campaign to overturn the election|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/trump-pressure-campaign-overturn-election-449486 |access-date=December 22, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|date=December 21, 2020}}</ref> the Justice Department,<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Marshall|title=Timeline of the coup: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election|url=https://cnn.com/2021/11/05/politics/january-6-timeline-trump-coup/|access-date=November 6, 2021|work=[[CNN]]|date=November 5, 2021}}</ref> and Vice President Pence,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|authorlink1=Maggie Haberman|last2=Karni|first2=Annie|title=Pence Said to Have Told Trump He Lacks Power to Change Election Result|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election-results.html |access-date=January 7, 2021|date=January 5, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> urging various actions such as [[Trump fake electors plot|replacing presidential electors]], or a request for Georgia officials to "find" votes and announce a "recalculated" result.<ref name="pressure" /> On February 10, 2021, Georgia prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to subvert the election in Georgia.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fausset|first1=Richard|last2=Hakim|first2=Danny|title=Georgia Prosecutors Open Criminal Inquiry Into Trump's Efforts to Subvert Election|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/politics/trump-georgia-investigation.html|date=February 10, 2021 |access-date=February 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration.<ref>{{cite web|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|authorlink=Maggie Haberman|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/trump-presidency.html|title=Trump Departs Vowing, 'We Will Be Back in Some Form'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>

==== Concern about a possible coup attempt or military action ====
In December 2020, ''[[Newsweek]]'' reported [[the Pentagon]] was on red alert, and ranking officers had discussed what to do if Trump declared [[martial law]]. The Pentagon responded with quotes from defense leaders that the military has no role in the outcome of elections.<ref>{{cite web|last=Arkin|first=William M.|url=https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-donald-trumps-martial-law-talk-has-military-red-alert-1557056|title=Exclusive: Donald Trump's martial-law talk has military on red alert|date=December 24, 2020 |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref>

When Trump moved supporters into positions of power at the Pentagon after the November 2020 election, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [[Mark Milley]] and CIA director [[Gina Haspel]] became concerned about the threat of a possible [[Self-coup|coup]] attempt or military action against China or Iran.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Cohen|first3=Marshall|last4=Stuart|first4=Elizabeth|last5=Starr|first5=Barbara|author-link5=Barbara Starr|title='They're not going to f**king succeed': Top generals feared Trump would attempt a coup after election, according to new book|url=https://cnn.com/2021/07/14/politics/donald-trump-election-coup-new-book-excerpt/|date=July 14, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Breuninger|first=Kevin|date=July 15, 2021|title=Top U.S. Gen. Mark Milley feared Trump would attempt a coup after his loss to Biden, new book says|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/15/mark-milley-feared-coup-after-trump-lost-to-biden-book.html |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Milley insisted that he should be consulted about any military orders from Trump, including the use of nuclear weapons, and he instructed Haspel and NSA director [[Paul Nakasone]] to monitor developments closely.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Stuart|first3=Elizabeth|title=Woodward/Costa book: Worried Trump could 'go rogue,' Milley took top-secret action to protect nuclear weapons|url=https://cnn.com/2021/09/14/politics/woodward-book-trump-nuclear/|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 14, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|date=September 14, 2021|title=Fears That Trump Might Launch a Strike Prompted General to Reassure China, Book Says|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/14/us/politics/peril-woodward-book-trump.html|work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref>

==== January 6 Capitol attack ====
{{Main|January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of the January 6 United States Capitol attack}}

On January 6, 2021, while [[2021 United States Electoral College vote count|congressional certification of the presidential election results]] was taking place in the U.S. Capitol, Trump held a noon rally at [[the Ellipse]], Washington, D.C.. He called for the election result to be overturned and urged his supporters to "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol to "fight like hell".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/trump-speech-riot.html|title=Incitement to Riot? What Trump Told Supporters Before Mob Stormed Capitol|first=Charlie|last=Savage|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|date=January 10, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump Speech "Save America" Rally Transcript January 6|url=https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-save-america-rally-transcript-january-6|date=January 6, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=[[Rev (company)|Rev]]}}</ref> Many supporters did, joining a crowd already there. The mob broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tan|first1=Shelley|last2=Shin|first2=Youjin|last3=Rindler|first3=Danielle|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/capitol-insurrection-visual-timeline/|title=How one of America's ugliest days unraveled inside and outside the Capitol|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=May 2, 2021}}</ref> During the violence, Trump posted messages on [[Twitter]] without asking the rioters to disperse. At 6{{Nbsp}}p.m., Trump tweeted that the rioters should "go home with love & in peace", calling them "great patriots" and repeating that the election was stolen.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Panetta|first1=Grace|last2=Lahut|first2=Jake|last3=Zavarise|first3=Isabella|last4=Frias|first4=Lauren|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-what-trump-was-doing-as-his-mob-attacked-the-capitol-on-jan-6-2022-7|title=A timeline of what Trump was doing as his MAGA mob attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=December 21, 2022|access-date=June 1, 2023}}</ref> After the mob was removed, Congress reconvened and confirmed Biden's win in the early hours of the following morning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/congress-begin-electoral-vote-count-amid-protests-inside-outside-capitol-n1253013|title=Congress confirms Biden's win after pro-Trump mob's assault on Capitol|first1=Dareh|last1=Gregorian|first2=Ginger|last2=Gibson|first3=Sahil|last3=Kapur|first4=Phil|last4=Helsel|date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> According to the Department of Justice, more than 140 police officers were injured, and five people died.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rubin|first1=Olivia|last2=Mallin|first2=Alexander|last3=Steakin|first3=Will|title=By the numbers: How the Jan. 6 investigation is shaping up 1 year later|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/numbers-jan-investigation-shaping-year/story?id=82057743|work=[[ABC News]]|access-date=June 4, 2023|date=January 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cameron|first=Chris|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html|title=These Are the People Who Died in Connection With the Capitol Riot|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 5, 2022|access-date=January 29, 2022}}</ref>

In March 2023, Trump collaborated with incarcerated rioters on a [[Justice for All (song)|song to benefit the prisoners]], and, in June, he said that, if elected, he would pardon many of them.<ref>{{cite news|last=Terkel|first=Amanda|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-pardon-large-portion-jan-6-rioters-rcna83873|title=Trump says he would pardon a 'large portion' of Jan. 6 rioters|work=[[NBC]]|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref>

==== Second impeachment ====
{{Main|Second impeachment of Donald Trump|Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Pelosi Signing Second Trump Impeachment.png|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seated at a table and surrounded by public officials. She is signing the second impeachment of Trump.|Speaker of the House [[Nancy Pelosi]] signing the second impeachment of Trump]]
On January 11, 2021, an article of impeachment charging Trump with [[incitement of insurrection]] against the U.S. government was introduced to the House.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-effort-live-updates/2021/01/11/955631105/impeachment-resolution-cites-trumps-incitement-of-capitol-insurrection|title=Impeachment Resolution Cites Trump's 'Incitement' of Capitol Insurrection|first=Brian|last=Naylor|work=[[NPR]]|date=January 11, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2021}}</ref> The House voted 232&ndash;197 to impeach Trump on January 13, making him the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.<ref name=SecondImpeachment>{{cite news|last=Fandos|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Fandos|title=Trump Impeached for Inciting Insurrection|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/us/politics/trump-impeached.html|access-date=January 14, 2021|date=January 13, 2021}}</ref> Ten Republicans voted for the impeachment—the most members of a party ever to vote to impeach a president of their own party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/13/trumps-second-impeachment-is-most-bipartisan-one-history/|title=Trump's second impeachment is the most bipartisan one in history|last=Blake|first=Aaron|date=January 13, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref>

On February 13, following a [[Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump|five-day Senate trial]], Trump was acquitted when the Senate vote fell ten votes short of the two-thirds majority required to convict; seven Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to convict, the most bipartisan support in any Senate impeachment trial of a president or former president.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Levine|first1=Sam|last2=Gambino|first2=Lauren|date=February 13, 2021|title=Donald Trump acquitted in impeachment trial|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/13/donald-trump-acquitted-impeachment-trial|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=February 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Fandos|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Fandos|date=February 13, 2021|title=Trump Acquitted of Inciting Insurrection, Even as Bipartisan Majority Votes 'Guilty'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/politics/trump-impeachment.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref> Most Republicans voted to acquit Trump, although some held him responsible but felt the Senate did not have jurisdiction over former presidents (Trump had left office on January 20; the Senate voted 56&ndash;44 that the trial was constitutional).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Watson|first1=Kathryn|last2=Quinn|first2=Melissa|last3=Segers|first3=Grace|last4=Becket|first4=Stefan|date=February 10, 2021|title=Senate finds Trump impeachment trial constitutional on first day of proceedings|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-impeachment-trial-senate-constitutional-day-1/|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref>