The organization “True the Vote”—the same group behind the widely debunked documentary 2000 Mules—is once again gearing up to release a new film. Despite the fact that their previous work was thoroughly discredited and faced legal scrutiny for its baseless claims regarding the 2020 election, the group is doubling down. This new project, produced in an environment where Donald Trump continues to cast doubt on the integrity of our democratic processes, appears to be a calculated effort to relitigate the past. Even though numerous courts have already dismissed these allegations of systemic fraud, the group is pressing forward with a narrative that specifically targets Black communities, attempting to breathe new life into conspiracy theories that have failed to hold up under the weight of any real legal evidence.
At the center of this new effort is Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, a Detroit-based figure who has become a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. Sewell has collaborated with Ramon Jackson, a Detroit activist who previously spearheaded a failed lawsuit against Michigan officials like Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and City Clerk Janice Winfrey. Their legal complaint, which alleged that Democratic officials orchestrated a complex scheme to manipulate voter registrations and absentee ballots, was tossed out by the courts due to a total lack of hard evidence and a failure to establish standing. Undeterred by the judicial system’s rejection of their claims, Sewell and Jackson are now turning to the medium of film to bypass the facts and appeal directly to a skeptical audience, framing the new documentary, titled Trap, as an exposé on alleged voter disenfranchisement.
The narrative being spun by Sewell is a collection of unsubstantiated theories that rely heavily on generalizations rather than data. He claims, without offering a shred of proof, that there is a nationwide pattern of Democratic operatives hijacking the votes of impoverished Black citizens. His argument rests on the assumption that because people move out of state, their old registrations are being used to cast fraudulent ballots. When questioned about the lack of evidence for such a vast conspiracy, Sewell dismisses the need for traditional verification, claiming that he possesses a “proven system” that allows him to detect cheating in any election. It is a bold, albeit dangerous, assertion that frames the standard administrative work of election officials as a weaponized political scheme.
The methodology behind Sewell’s supposed discovery process is problematic at best. He makes sweeping claims about cultural voting habits, such as his assertion that “Black people don’t vote absentee”—a statement that is directly contradicted by recent studies showing that mail-in voting is actually a utilized tool for many Black voters, particularly in areas facing high levels of social tension. Furthermore, Sewell’s process involves flagging names that he personally deems “not conducive to the names of our community.” By relying on subjective, potentially discriminatory standards to identify “fake” voters, the project moves away from legitimate election oversight and toward a form of racial profiling that seeks to invalidate the legitimacy of voters based on little more than a biased intuition.
While Sewell claims to have collected affidavits from individuals who believe their identities were misused, independent journalists have found no way to verify these claims, and the specifics of how such a massive, multi-city scheme could be pulled off remain entirely absent. The logistics—how officials would organize these thefts, procure ballots, and bypass verification systems without anyone noticing—are never explained. Instead, the focus remains on stirring outrage. Behind the scenes, the involvement of True the Vote, led by figures like Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips, underscores the partisan nature of this project. Despite requests for transparency, the group has remained essentially tight-lipped, preferring to tease the project to their base on platforms like Truth Social rather than engaging with journalists who seek to verify the information.
Ultimately, this upcoming film is less about protecting the sanctity of the vote and more about maintaining a narrative of denial. By targeting high-population Black urban centers like Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, the creators are attempting to cast doubt on the very voters who are most vital to the democratic process. It is a strategy designed to generate headlines and stoke frustration, even when the underlying claims have been struck down by the courts time and time again. By choosing to focus on a documentary rather than substantive legal action, those involved are effectively opting to trade in propaganda. For a society that relies on the public’s belief in the fairness of their government, these recurring, debunked narratives serve as a persistent barrier to stability and mutual trust.
