The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of the Big Lie - Hardcover

by Major Garrett (Author), David Becker (Author)

A Revelatory Account Of The 2020 Election--The Most Secure, Verifiable, And Transparent In American History--And The Heroes Brave Enough To Get It Right

The Big Truth illuminates a crowning achievement in America's quest for a robust democracy in the face of slander by sore losers and opportunists. Filled with interviews of the guardians of democracy--election workers, January 6th Committee members Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and more--it is an overpowering counterattack against the Big Lie.

CBS Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett and National Election Expert David Becker, the Executive Director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, reveal why Big Lie fraud allegations evaporate under scrutiny. They report what actually happened in 2020 while calling out each Trumpian misdirection designed to con and beguile Americans into chasing phantom allegations of election crimes.

The 2020 election was not what Trumpist deniers claim. Our political parties knew the rules and procedures. We had record turnout and few election snarls. The result: an accurate count, a seven-million-vote margin of victory, 306 electoral votes for Joe Biden, and Republican gains in congressional and state races. But then-President Trump stoked paranoia--never looking for evidence, contesting results even before anyone cast a ballot, and seeking to bend our system until it almost broke with a violent Capitol riot.

The Big Lie--the true corruption of American democracy--has shaken our confidence in stable self-government. On the heels of voter-fraud claims, the Capitol siege, and damaging voting laws, the next midterm and presidential election will test our democracy more severely than at any time since the Civil War. How we react may well determine if we are led into another war against ourselves. The Big Truth debunks the 2020 election conspiracy myth once and for all, while celebrating those who held up our democracy under arguably the most intense scrutiny in American electoral history.

Author Biography

Major Garrett is the Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and the CBSN radio host of The Takeout and The Debrief. For over thirty years, his award-winning reporting and writing has tackled the nation's pressing issues. Garrett is the author of four books, Mr. Trump's Wild Ride, The Enduring Revolution, The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics, and Common Cents with former Rep. Tim Penny (D-Minnesota). He lives in Washington, D.C.

David Becker is the Executive Director and Founder of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Election Innovation & Research, working with election officials of both parties to ensure accessible, secure elections for all eligible voters. David serves as CBS' election law expert, and his many appearances in the media include The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, and NPR. He resides in Montgomery County, MD.