![]() Experts on Michigan election law said the Board of State Canvassers’ authority was limited in scope. Trump’s effort to set aside the Michigan vote was sure to fail. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that the meeting with Michigan officials was “not an advocacy meeting” and insisted Trump “routinely meets with lawmakers from across the country.” But such meetings are in fact rare, particularly as Trump has maintained a low profile since the election.Īs he departed Detroit for Washington on Friday morning, Shirkey was swarmed by activists bearing signs that read “Respect the Vote” and “Protect Democracy.”Ĭhatfield tweeted before the meeting with Trump: “No matter the party, when you have an opportunity to meet with the President of the United States, of course you take it. “Republicans at all levels - state, county, election boards, legislatures - must resist this political pressure.” “The president could be calling Republican legislators and others to the White House to try and squeeze them,” tweeted former Trump national security adviser John Bolton. He was also said to be considering extending a similar invitation to lawmakers from Pennsylvania. It was with that in mind that Trump invited the Michigan legislators. Some Trump allies have expressed hope that state lawmakers could intervene in selecting Republican electors, as the president and his attorneys have pushed baseless allegations of fraud that have been repeatedly rejected in courtrooms across the country. The Board of State Canvassers is to meet Monday to certify the statewide outcome and it was unclear whether Republican members of that panel would similarly balk. Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, right, and state House Speaker Lee Chatfield speak to the media at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on Jan. But following Trump’s call, they said they had second thoughts. The two GOP officials eventually agreed to certify the results. ![]() Trump’s roughly hourlong meeting with the Michigan legislators came days after he personally called two local canvassing board officials who had refused to certify the results in Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county and one that overwhelmingly favored Biden. The president on Friday again falsely claimed victory, declaring as an aside during a White House announcement on drug pricing, “I won, by the way, but you know, we’ll find that out.” “The candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan’s electoral votes,” they added, saying they used the meeting with Trump to press him for more pandemic aid money for their state. “We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and as legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors, just as we have said throughout this election,” they said. In a joint statement after the White House meeting, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield said allegations of fraud should be investigated but indicated they were unmoved by Trump’s claims thus far. But it is extremely unlikely to lead to any different result for president.” “It is profoundly depressing we still have to discuss this. “We should worry because this is profoundly antidemocratic and is delegitimizing the victory of Joe Biden in a free and fair election,” Hasen wrote on his blog.
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