President Donald Trump once again claimed the 2020 election was rigged during remarks at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. The statement came as part of a sprawling speech in which the president made several grandiose claims about his own popularity and achievements, including an eyebrow-raising assertion about how he would fare against two of America’s most revered founding fathers in a hypothetical election.
Speaking before an audience at the performing arts venue, Trump recounted what he said pollsters told him about his approval ratings in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic upended American life. “They said, sir, if George Washington and Abraham Lincoln came back from the dead and they aligned, and they went for the president, vice president as a combination, you’d be beating them by 25 points,” Trump said. The claim echoed similar statements Trump has made in previous years, including in 2021 and 2022, though no polling data supporting such a scenario has ever been made public.
The president suggested his fortunes changed dramatically once the pandemic hit. He described receiving news about the virus shortly after hearing the positive polling numbers, saying there were reports of significant deaths in an unnamed country. Trump defended his administration’s handling of the crisis, stating they “did a great job with COVID” despite acknowledging it was “a horrible thing for the whole world.”
Trump’s current job approval rating stands at 43.1 percent according to recent polling averages, significantly lower than the commanding lead he claimed to have held over the historical figures. Political analysts have long noted a pattern in Trump’s speeches where anecdotes featuring someone addressing him as “sir” frequently prove to be inaccurate or unverifiable.
During the same appearance, Trump also made claims about his role in securing major sporting events for the United States. He stated he was responsible for bringing both the 2028 Olympics and the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the country. “We got the Olympics and then we got through Gianni, he’s the boss, he’s a friend of mine, we got the World Cup. I got them both and I said, ‘Man, I won’t be president and they’re gonna forget that I got them. Nobody’s gonna mention it,'” Trump said.
The speech took a personal turn when Trump discussed his daughter Tiffany Trump, who was present with her husband. The president claimed Georgetown University Law Center canceled its 2020 graduation ceremony not because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but because his daughter had performed well academically. Trump suggested the university “didn’t like that she did so well in school” and implied the cancellation was specifically targeted at preventing recognition of her success.
In reality, Georgetown was among countless American universities that moved to virtual instruction in March 2020 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The law school held virtual graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020 in May 2020. University records show that while Tiffany Trump received her Juris Doctor degree that year, she did not graduate with cum laude honors and was not listed among the school’s Order of the Coif honorees, a distinction reserved for the top 10 percent of law school classes.
Trump’s appearance at the Kennedy Center comes as he has taken on a controversial new role at the institution. According to sources, he was made chairman of the Kennedy Center in February 2025, a move that reportedly prompted resignations from several board members. The president reportedly dismissed long-serving board members and criticized what he described as problems with the venue’s programming, specifically mentioning DEI initiatives and LGBTQ-themed content.
Trump announced the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors during his remarks, with the December 7 event reportedly set to recognize several artists. Among those being honored is the rock band KISS, whose members have previously been critical of Trump but expressed gratitude for the recognition.
The president’s renewed claims about the 2020 election being rigged continue a pattern of statements he has made since losing that contest. At previous Kennedy Center events, according to sources, he has used profanity when discussing his decision to run again in 2024, suggesting his motivation was to prove his detractors wrong.
Trump’s speech on Wednesday demonstrated his ongoing preoccupation with his public image and historical legacy. By comparing himself favorably to Washington and Lincoln—two presidents consistently ranked among the greatest in American history—Trump positioned himself at the center of a narrative where he stands above even the nation’s most celebrated leaders. The remarks fit a broader pattern of self-aggrandizing statements that have characterized his political career and continue to define his public appearances.
