You could call it an escalation, but it wasn't a linear escalation. It took an exponential jump with Trump and I suspect it would not continue that trajectory if Biden had lost. There will always be a crowd of people saying something was stolen, but we have never had the losing candidate just make up complete and total lies about how the election was stolen and continue to spout those lies for years after his failed insurrection. Hopefully the legal system can withstand the pressure and put that criminal threat to democracy in prison where he belongs.