According to the Detroit News, Donald Trump pressured two election officials in Michigan to not certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, similar to his tactics in Georgia. On November 17, 2020, Trump called two Republicans on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers and urged them not to sign the election’s certification, stating that they would look “terrible” and must “fight for our country.” Recordings of the call were reviewed by the Michigan news outlet.
Wayne County is home to Detroit, a Democratic city with a significant Black majority population. In the audio, Trump claimed Republicans were “cheated on this election” and made disparaging remarks about Detroit, according to the report published on Thursday.
The news of these recordings comes as Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, faces criminal charges over attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which led to the violent attack on Congress. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, branding the charges as a political witch hunt and continuing to spread false claims of widespread voting fraud in 2020.
When asked about the Michigan report, a Trump campaign spokesman said that Trump’s actions were in line with his duty as President to ensure election integrity, including investigating allegations of a rigged and stolen 2020 Presidential Election.
In Georgia, Trump also faces charges for trying to overturn his loss to Biden, including a personal phone call to Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to “find” enough votes to reverse his defeat, which the official declined to do.
Michigan authorities have filed felony charges against 16 Republican state residents for their involvement in an alleged false electors scheme following the 2020 presidential election. Trump has not been charged.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson expressed support for state and federal law enforcement in investigating and holding those involved accountable for any crimes committed in attempting to overturn the will of Michigan voters, drawing a direct line between the recordings and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
A representative for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel did not respond to a request for comment. Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee Chairwoman, was reported to have been on the Michigan call and also did not respond to a request for comment. McDaniel informed the Detroit News that she stood by her request to the county board for an audit based on ample evidence.
Reporting by Susan Heavey; edited by Jonathan Oatis
