Letter to the editor: It's disturbing that so many Republicans believe Trump's election lie

When Donald Trump was running against Hillary Clinton in 2016, he claimed that only voter fraud could cause him to lose. So, he set the scene to give himself an excuse if, God forbid, he should lose to "crooked Hillary."

Well, he won. Hillary conceded, as all losing candidates have done since 1896, even though she received upward of 2.8 million more votes. Donald, being the gracious winner, tweets in November 2016: "In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." Evidence? Not required. At least in Trump world.

Fast forward to 2020. Trailing in the polls, Donald proclaims that if he loses to Joe Biden, it will be due to voter fraud. He even suggests that the election should be postponed. In November, the people elected Joe Biden. Instead of graciously conceding, Donald suggests that all ballots counted after Election Day should be discarded. That didn't work. On to the dozens of lawsuits filed and tossed, some by Trump-appointed judges. Then, an attempt to get the Republican secretary of state in Georgia to find him 11,780 votes failed as well.

No election audit or other investigation for voting irregularities has found significant evidence of fraud. None of this matters to Donald; the election was stolen. He couldn't possibly lose to "Sleepy Joe." He doesn't concede. Not our traditional way of ending the battle for this high office, but not a mortal wound for democracy.

However, here is what I cannot understand and what disturbs me most: The great majority of Republicans believe him. They have seen no evidence of fraud. All they have is his word. Is he some supreme being? Or a dangerous Kool-Aid-dispensing Jim Jones who is threatening our democracy?

— Pat Gillespie, Canton

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Letter: It's disturbing that so many Republicans believe Trump's lie