I don’t doubt that the actual story was created at election time, but the idea was floating around well before.
It doesn't matter which GOP candidate you care to name, some form of this nonsense would be happening had they beaten Hillary. The main difference is that Trump fights back, whereas the others probably would have folded like cheap suits.
One thing is certain - the Democrats no longer want to accept defeat in presidential races. They've been contentious in the last 3 GOP presidential wins (two Bush, Trump), and have tried to impeach virtually every GOP president since Nixon.