Fact check: Yes, Trump Said, 'They Rigged the Election, and I Became President'

1. Summary of the results

The quote "They rigged the election, and I became president" is confirmed as authentic by multiple sources ^{[1] [1] [1]}. The statement was made during a March 7, 2025 White House press conference specifically about the FIFA World Cup 2026 task force ^{[1] [1]}. While there was initial ambiguity about which election Trump was referring to, multiple fact-checkers have concluded he was discussing the 2020 election, not making an admission about 2024 ^{[2] [2] [2]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks crucial context about:

• The setting: This was specifically a FIFA World Cup press conference ^[3]
• The broader discussion: Trump was explaining how losing the 2020 election actually enabled him to be president during both the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics ^[4]
• Multiple interpretations exist: Some viewed it as a Freudian slip about 2024, while others saw it as Trump mocking claims about the 2020 election ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement as presented is potentially misleading in several ways:

• It omits the full context of the quote, which was part of a larger discussion about sporting events during his presidency ^[3]
• It allows for deliberate misinterpretation by not specifying which election Trump was referring to ^{[1] [1]}
• Multiple fact-checkers have rated claims about this being an admission of election rigging as "False" ^{[2] [2]}

Those who benefit from the ambiguous interpretation include:

• Trump's political opponents who can use the quote to suggest impropriety in the 2024 election
• Media outlets seeking engagement through controversial interpretations of the statement
• Political commentators who can use the ambiguity to support various narratives about election integrity