The 2020 US presidential election was undoubtedly unprecedented – a fact made starkly evident not only by the defeated candidate’s reaction to the announced results but also, and more dramatically, by the events of January 6, 2021. While these troubling developments are often attributed to the idiosyncratic behavior of the then-president, such an interpretation falls short of addressing why so many people chose to follow the failed leader. Seeking a sounder explanation, this chapter begins by examining the intricacies of the American electoral system, which inherently provides grounds for contesting the results of closely fought national elections. Yet, this same system has historically functioned for over a century without provoking comparable upheaval. To resolve this conundrum, this chapter proposes viewing the 2020 election as an instance of the broader phenomenon identified in political science as “contested elections.” This hypothesis casts significant doubt on the future viability of President Biden’s foreign policy strategy.