Trump claims Biden administration rigged 2020 election, spied on lawmakers

Trump said there were documents that proved Biden officials rigged the 2020 Presidential Election, citing Operation Arctic Frost and calling for accountability after FBI revelations

US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused former members of the Joe Biden administration of rigging the 2020 Presidential election. In a post on Truth Social, he further alleged that the administration had conducted surveillance on American lawmakers, including recording their phone calls.

 

 

‘Arguably worse than Watergate’

Trump’s remarks followed the release of an FBI document by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The document revealed that the federal agency had sought tolling data — records of call times, duration, recipients, and general location — from the personal phones of eight Republican senators and one representative, though not the content of the calls.

 

The lawmakers targeted were Josh Hawley (Missouri), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty (Tennessee), Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Tommy Tuberville (Alabama), Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming), and Rep. Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania).

 

Grassley described the operation as “arguably worse than Watergate” and urged US Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to hold those responsible accountable.

FBI confirms firings, promises accountability

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the agents involved had been dismissed. Posting on X, Patel stated that the FBI had monitored communications of GOP Senators and misused law enforcement against the public.  He added that those acting unethically were dismissed, the CR-15 unit was disbanded, and an investigation launched, emphasising that transparency and accountability are not mere slogans but commitments upheld. 

What is Operation Arctic Fox?

Operation Arctic Fox is the informal label used to describe FBI monitoring of US lawmakers after the 2020 Presidential Election and the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill attack.

 

The surveillance activity, initiated in 2023 under Special Counsel Jack Smith, involved analysing communications linked to efforts to overturn the election results.

 

Smith had filed charges against Trump and his allies, alleging they had violated federal law in their attempts to overturn the election. These charges were later dropped after Trump’s victory in the 2024 Presidential election.