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By Kate Plummer and Daniel Orton
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President Donald Trump on Thursday renewed his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged, posting “TRUMP WON BIG. Crooked Election!” on Truth Social as he amplified a series of posts citing a range of long‑standing allegations related to the 2016 and 2020 elections that lack evidence, including some referencing an FBI raid at a Georgia election office a day earlier.
Federal authorities executed a search warrant at the county’s main election office on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation, according to officials, prompting a wave of reaction online from the president, his allies, and Democrats. Trump, who has repeatedly alleged that the 2020 election was stolen, used the episode to once again cast doubt on the integrity of Georgia’s election process, a state that played a central role in his efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden.
As part of the Wednesday search, an FBI warrant cited by multiple publications sought ballots and other voter data from the 2020 election in Fulton County. The County Commissioner Mo Ivory also said on Instagram that the FBI were collecting 700 boxes of ballots from the 2020 election.
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An FBI spokesperson told Newsweek agents were “executing a court-authorized law-enforcement action” but declined to provide additional details.
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Why It Matters
Through his social media posts, Trump has stoked an ongoing dispute about the 2020 election in Georgia. Trump and his allies have consistently claimed without evidence that the election that year was stolen and that former President Joe Biden did not win in Georgia and other states. Trump claimed that ballots were duplicated and that were other voter fraud issues in the county.
What To Know
Trump's reassertion of election impropriety follows comments he made in Davos, Switzerland last week. There, he told the World Economic Forum that the 2020 election "was a rigged election" and added that "people will soon be prosecuted for what they did." It is not clear whether Trump's comments related to the FBI search.
Meanwhile, the FBI search follows the Department of Justice filing a lawsuit last month against Che Alexander, the clerk of Fulton County Superior and Magistrate Courts.
Through this legal action, the department is seeking access to 2020 election records, claiming that Alexander failed to produce them after repeated requests.
Alexander has said the requested records are sealed under state law and cannot be released without a court order. She has moved to dismiss the lawsuit.
History of Federal and State Scrutiny in Fulton County
Fulton County, home to Atlanta, delivered Biden a decisive victory margin in the 2020 election and has since been a frequent focus of Republican allegations of election mismanagement. While audits and official reviews identified administrative shortcomings, investigators found no evidence of intentional wrongdoing or fraud that affected the outcome.
In August 2023, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis secured a sweeping indictment charging Trump and 18 others with conspiring to illegally overturn Georgia’s election results. The case was dismissed in November after a court disqualified Willis and her office from continuing the prosecution, citing the appearance of impropriety linked to her romantic relationship with a prosecutor she appointed to lead the case.
State Election Board Pushes to Reopen 2020 Case
At the state level, a conservative majority on Georgia’s State Election Board has repeatedly moved to revisit allegations of wrongdoing in Fulton County’s 2020 election. In July, the board approved a resolution seeking help from the U.S. attorney general to obtain voting materials from the county.
The board issued subpoenas to the county election board last year and again on October 6, requesting ballots, ballot stubs, signature envelopes and digital files related to the 2020 general election. After county officials said the records were in the custody of the court clerk, the Justice Department sent a letter on October 30 citing the federal Civil Rights Act and requesting the materials directly. County attorneys responded two weeks later, maintaining that the records remained under seal.
Leadership Changes at FBI’s Atlanta Office
The search also comes amid quiet leadership changes at the FBI. Last week, the bureau replaced its top agent in Atlanta, Paul W. Brown, according to people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
The FBI has not publicly explained the move, and it was not immediately clear whether the leadership change is connected to the Fulton County investigation.
What People Are Saying
Trump posted on Truth Social: "TRUMP WON BIG. Crooked Election!"
Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory said in an Instagram reel: "This is an attempt to take your vote away." She added that Trump "does not want the midterm elections to take away his power." The midterms will be held in November.
FBI Atlanta told Newsweek in a statement: "Yes, we can confirm FBI Atlanta is executing a court-authorized law-enforcement action at 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Rd. Our investigation into this matter is ongoing so there are no details that we can provide at the moment."
What Happens Next
Further details about the FBI search and their next steps will likely become available in the days and weeks to come.
This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.
Update, 01/29/2026, 8:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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