Republican candidates across the country are adopting President Donald Trump's rhetoric on "election integrity" as they campaign for office, despite a track record of failed legal challenges and recounts that found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. The strategy reflects a broader pattern in Republican politics since 2020, in which candidates aligned with Trump's claims have frequently sought his endorsement and cultivated support among his base during primary campaigns.

In Wisconsin's gubernatorial race, GOP candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany has embraced Trump's language on election integrity. Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), running for Senate, is similarly attempting to position himself as a moderate while continuing to echo the president's messaging.

"If our nation does not have security and confidence in our elections, then we do not have much of a nation at all," Rogers wrote on social media.

Rogers's current posture marks a notable shift from his previous stance. As a former CNN analyst, he denounced Trump's election claims as "falsehoods" in 2020 and directly attributed responsibility to Trump for the January 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol.

"Well, you're damn right he has responsibility," Rogers told Jake Tapper less than a week after the attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

On X, however, Rogers has since softened his tone. Following Trump's July speech to the nation in which the president again claimed the 2020 election was hacked, Rogers posted: "I am thankful for President Trump's commitment to transparency. Make no mistake about it, there is no serious problem with election security in this country."

Mike Lindell is running for governor in Minnesota after years of asserting that the 2020 election was rigged.

Trump pursued legal challenges in more than 60 court cases and lost every one. Recounts were conducted in several states, and none uncovered inaccuracies or irregularities affecting the results.

CNN correspondent Tom Forman offered his assessment of the dynamic within the Republican Party.

"Republicans by and large know that," Forman said. "And Donald Trump absolutely knows that he lost in 2020. What this is really about, Pam, is a loyalty test, making people who are running now say you have to acknowledge what I've been saying about 2020, that I was cheated somehow because I don't want to accept it."

Forman noted what he called the "weird part" of the situation — that Trump's loss years ago could ultimately damage Republican candidates today, given that an overwhelming number of Americans know and believe Trump lost in 2020. When those candidates must pivot after winning Republican primaries to appeal to a broader general electorate, they may face a credibility gap. This tension between primary and general election messaging has been a recurring challenge for Republican candidates in competitive races, particularly in swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin.

Forman explained that voters will ask: "How can I trust you when you keep insisting on this thing that we know is not true? Donald Trump lost. That's it."