Fundraising Campaign Launched by True the Vote Amidst Controversy
True the Vote, an organization advocating for voting restrictions based on unsubstantiated election fraud claims, made a fundraising appeal on X/Twitter on Tuesday. The group aims to collect $150,000 to match a donation and support their goal of training “1,000,000 pro-liberty election workers.”
Catherine Engelbrecht, the leader of True the Vote, has often depicted their initiatives, such as opposing vote-by-mail, in terms of spiritual warfare. The urgent fundraising call posted on Tuesday employed dramatic language:
We’ve talked for some time about the coming of dark days. They are now upon us.
Do not fear.
It had to be this way. This moment had to come. The darkness must be defeated. The corruption of our country can not continue.
The question is, what will you do to help?
We are fully committed to winning. I believe we will win – and not just the election – America is rising.
Yes, our organization is being attacked on all sides. Yes, parts of our justice system have been co-opted. Yes, the Executive Branch of government has been weaponized. Yes, there are foreign actors pressing in. Yes. It’s true.
But nothing … nothing … can arrest the God-given, spirit-filled gift of freedom that is WORTH fighting for. And that gift of freedom, given not by government but endowed to us by our Creator, is like a flame, exposing the darkness and lighting our path.
Engelbrecht concludes the appeal with a call to action: “Now is the time. Step onto the battlefield with us. Let’s save our country.”
Background on True the Vote’s Controversies
On the previous day, Jessica Huseman of Votebeat noted that True the Vote has not followed Salem Media in apologizing for the false claims of election fraud in the discredited “2000 Mules” film. This movie, produced by Dinesh D’Souza in collaboration with True the Vote’s Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips, has been widely debunked.
Salem Media, True the Vote, and D’Souza faced a defamation lawsuit from a man falsely accused of voter fraud in the film. Salem Media issued an apology in late May and agreed to remove the film and associated book from its platforms, citing reliance on representations made by D’Souza and True the Vote.
In response to Salem’s apology, Engelbrecht released a defiant statement asserting the ongoing struggle for liberty and promising to stand firm, declaring, “we will not be a casualty” and “we will stand. In truth.”
Debunked Claims and Persistent Beliefs
Earlier this year, True the Vote admitted to a Georgia judge that it lacked evidence to support its claims of illegal ballot stuffing in the 2020 general election and a subsequent runoff, as reported by AP. A spokesperson for Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State commented, “Once again, True the Vote has proven itself untrustworthy and unable to provide a shred of evidence for a single one of their fairy-tale allegations.”
Despite the film being thoroughly debunked, it continues to be promoted by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, with millions of MAGA Republicans still believing its claims. Votebeat’s Huseman observed that Salem’s apology might not alter the beliefs of those already convinced by the film, quoting The Bulwark’s Andrew Eggar: “Mopping up the water doesn’t un-carve the gorge.”
Some Trump allies continue to disseminate disinformation. For instance, Turning Point Action plans to screen “2000 Mules” in Wisconsin in October, shortly before the election.
In related political developments, D’Souza’s son-in-law, Brandon Gill, who reportedly collaborated on “2000 Mules,” secured a victory in a crowded primary in a heavily Republican Texas district with a Trump endorsement, making his election to Congress next year highly probable.
