Trump has stocked his administration with people who have backed his false 2020 election claims

President Donald Trump has filled his administration with individuals who promoted his false claims about the 2020 election, with Attorney General Pam Bondi and lawyer Kurt Olsen among those now holding official power to investigate that election, as reported by the Associated Press on February 20, 2026, continuing Trump's efforts to justify his loss to Joe Biden. These election conspiracists now range from the attorney general to lawyers filing lawsuits for the Justice Department, with Olsen leading a sweeping probe of the 2020 vote that resulted in the seizure of ballots and election records from Fulton County in Georgia, a Democratic stronghold that includes Atlanta. The most dramatic action from Trump's mandate was the seizure in late January of ballots and 2020 election records from Fulton County, which has long been a target of election conspiracy theorists aligned with Trump. The affidavit for the search warrant shows the action was based on 2020 claims that in many cases had been thoroughly investigated and debunked. Election officials across the country, especially those in states controlled politically by Democrats, are bracing for more turmoil during this year's elections, when control of Congress is on the line. 'The election denial movement is now embedded across our federal government, which makes it more powerful than ever,' said Joanna Lydgate, chief executive officer of States United Democracy Center, which tracks those who promote election conspiracy theories. 'Trump and his allies are trying to use all of the powers of the federal government to undermine elections, with an eye to the upcoming midterms.' Trump has remade the federal government as an arm of his own personal will, with Bondi, who helped try to overturn Trump's 2020 loss, declaring that everyone working at the Justice Department needs to carry out the president's demands. Despite facing numerous challenges in his second term, from economic concerns to his immigration crackdown, Trump continues to push the false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election.