Newswise — Donald Trump’s vice-presidential running mate JD Vance repeatedly avoided confirming that Trump lost the 2020 election during a recent New York Times interview. His refusal has reignited debate over Trump’s false election claims, with Democrats accusing Vance of prioritizing Trump’s conspiracy theories over constitutional principles.

Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on this matter. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Tayah Frye at [email protected].

Historians of Right-Wing Politics

Matt Dallek, a professor at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, is a political historian with expertise in the intersection of social crises and political transformation, the evolution of the modern conservative movement, and liberalism and its critics. Along with four co-authored books, Dallek is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right, which explores the history and influence of America’s right-wing activism.

Steven Livingston is the Founding Director of the GW Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics and a professor of media and public affairs. Livingston's research and teaching focus on media/information technology and political theory. He is particularly interested in the role of information technologies and media on democracy.

Campaign Implications

Peter Loge is the director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs. He has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications, having served as a deputy to the chief of staff for Sen. Edward Kennedy during the 1995 shutdown, a VP at the US Institute of Peace in 2013, and held senior positions for three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Loge currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at the School of Media and Public Affairs and continues to advise advocates and organizations.

Todd Belt is the director of the Political Management Program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management. Belt is an expert on the presidency, campaigns and elections, mass media and politics, public opinion, and political humor. In addition to his expertise, Belt is co-author of four books and helps to run GW’s political poll, which recently shared new findings.

Jon Lewis is a Research Fellow at the GW Program on Extremism, where he studies domestic terrorism, with a specialization in the evolution of white supremacist and anti-government movements in the United States and federal responses to the threat. Lewis has spoken about how political rhetoric can embolden extremists and incite violence.

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