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Fact check: What was the total number of votes cast for Trump in the 2020 presidential election?
Executive Summary
Donald Trump received roughly 74 million votes in the 2020 U.S. presidential election according to a Federal Election Commission summary published in late 2023, a figure that represents approximately 47% of the national popular vote [1]. Contemporary media tallies reported a lower but still historically large total in the immediate aftermath — just over 72 million votes — reflecting the difference between initial vote counts and later official reporting and tabulation [2]. Both figures are accurate in context: the earlier figure reflects near-real-time reporting during tabulation, and the later FEC figure reflects consolidated, official totals released after certification and submission from states [2] [1].
1. Why two different tallies lit up headlines — the fast-report vs. the final-count story
Initial news tallies in November 2020 recorded Donald Trump receiving over 72 million popular votes, and outlets framed that as the most votes ever for a sitting president at that moment because it came during ongoing counting and projection of winners [2]. That on-the-ground reporting used state-reported results as they were posted and often did not include late-arriving certifications or post-election administrative adjustments. The Federal Election Commission’s later compilation, published in December 2023, lists Trump at about 74 million votes, reflecting state-certified totals and the formal aggregation process that follows elections — a routine but less-publicized administrative step that can alter reported totals by millions across all candidates [1]. Both measurements are factual within their temporal contexts, but they serve different public purposes: immediate reporting and final, official accounting.
2. What the difference means for historical comparisons and claims
The gap between the immediate 72-million media count and the roughly 74-million FEC total is important for historical comparisons because small numeric shifts change rankings and percent shares only marginally but matter rhetorically. The November 2020 reports emphasized that Trump’s then-count exceeded typical sitting-president totals, a notable media narrative framed around turnout and incumbency. The later FEC figure provides the canonical baseline used by researchers, historians, and official records to compare turnout across elections. Statements that Trump “received the most votes ever for a sitting president” are accurate in the immediate context reported by outlets in November 2020, but the official record used for archival comparisons will rely on the FEC’s consolidated numbers [2] [1].
3. How reliable are these sources and what to watch for in future disputes
The Associated Press’s November 2020 coverage captured real-time reporting with a reputable methodology for aggregating state updates, but by definition those snapshots can precede final certification [2]. The FEC’s later compilation is the formal, administrative record and is the accepted source for final vote totals in federal elections; its December 2023 restatement of totals reflects the post-election certification process that resolves provisional ballots, canvassing adjustments, and state-submitted corrections [1]. When assessing contested claims or dramatic numerical assertions, prioritize the FEC or other official repositories for final counts while treating contemporaneous media tallies as useful but provisional snapshots; both have roles but different evidentiary weights [1] [2].
4. What these numbers do — and do not — say about legitimacy or fraud claims
Raw totals — whether ~72 million or ~74 million — show that Trump’s 2020 popular-vote performance was historically large, but the numbers alone do not establish broader claims about electoral integrity, fraud, or legitimacy; those issues require separate evidence regarding process, chain-of-custody, and adjudicated legal findings. The difference between media-count and FEC totals stems from standard administrative procedures and is not, by itself, evidence of impropriety. Evaluations of election legality rest on audits, court rulings, and official certifications conducted at the state level; the FEC aggregate is the endpoint of that process rather than an investigative report on irregularities [1] [2].
5. Bottom line for researchers, journalists, and casual readers
Cite the FEC’s consolidated total (~74 million) when you need the definitive, archival figure for Trump’s 2020 popular-vote total; cite the AP’s November 2020 72-million figure when describing contemporaneous reporting or the narrative environment in the immediate post-election period [1] [2]. Recognize both as accurate within context: one is a real-time media snapshot that shaped early public perception, and the other is the final administrative tally used for historical records. Always specify which count you mean to avoid conflating provisional reportage with certified totals.