Italian satellites switched votes from Trump to Biden
| Italian satellites switched votes from Trump to Biden | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "An Italian defense contractor used satellites to change U.S. votes ("Italygate")." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Fabrication Conspiracy Theory |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2020 |
| Origin | Online posts in November 2020; promoted by Trump allies |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-03 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
The claim that Italian satellites switched votes from Trump to Biden (often called "Italygate") had no technical basis.
What the evidence shows
- No mechanism. Voting machines do not receive or send vote totals through satellites in the way the story describes.
- Fact checkers found it baseless. Reuters and USA Today rated the claim false.
- Legal action. The Italian company Leonardo SpA filed defamation complaints against people who spread it.
- Government attention. News reports in 2021 said a Trump aide asked the Justice Department to look into it, with no finding of fraud resulting.
Why it persists
Foreign involvement and high-tech vocabulary make a story feel inside-baseball and hard to disprove.
Lessons for readers
- A theory that requires a mechanism no one can explain is a story, not a finding.
See also
Sources
- Reuters Fact Check and USA Today fact checks, 2020 to 2021.