Staff Reports
Election Night left plenty of people stunned — and plenty more furious. Big Democratic upsets in Texas, Michigan and Kansas flipped control of Congress and sent shockwaves through conservative corners of the internet. That outrage poured into a flood of viral claims about impossible vote totals and outright fraud. Now some on the right are begging a little-known order from 2018, Executive Order 13848, to come to the rescue. Let’s be blunt: EO 13848 can help investigate foreign interference, but it is not a broom that sweeps away certified state results.
What actually happened on Election Night
The real story is the shock itself. Democrats scored major upsets — winning Senate races in Texas and Kansas and flipping other high-profile contests like Michigan’s Senate seat. Those wins, combined with gains in the House, handed Democrats control of Congress and handed conservatives a painful political rebuke. Election Night returns in many places were messy and slow, which feeds suspicion. But unexpected results are not the same thing as proof of coordinated fraud.
Viral claims and the smell test
Within hours, social media exploded with wild claims: “If you remove this group, the result flips,” or “That candidate got more votes than a presidential ticket did two years ago.” Those posts spread fast because they sound simple and satisfying. They are rarely checked against certified county tallies or official canvass numbers. Before anyone starts shouting that the sky is falling, verify numbers with state election officials. Viral outrage is not evidence; official certification and local audits are.
What Executive Order 13848 does — and doesn’t
Here’s where facts matter. EO 13848 requires the Director of National Intelligence to deliver an assessment within 45 days after a federal election on whether a foreign actor interfered. If foreign interference is found, the order can trigger sanctions. That is useful when foreign money or actors try to manipulate our politics. But it doesn’t change who won a state race, it doesn’t let the federal government “undo” certified results, and it doesn’t automatically open a federal courtroom where Congress seats a different person. Want a smoking-gun? Expect intelligence findings and sanctions, not instant do-overs.
What conservatives should do next
Anger is natural. Smart action matters more. Demand transparency: ask for the DNI assessment to be released unclassified if possible and press local secretaries of state for full canvass data. Support lawful recounts and court challenges where evidence exists. And stop amplifying every viral post that smells fishy — it makes legitimate complaints sound like conspiracy mongering. We lost a fight on Election Night. That’s painful. But our cause needs credible evidence and strong legal work, not wishful thinking and social media hysteria.
