Trump reportedly reached out to Michigan GOP canvassers who tried to 'rescind' vote certification
President Trump reportedly reached out to two Republican canvassers in Michigan who attempted to prevent results in the 2020 presidential race from being certified.
Two Republicans on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, earlier this week voted against certifying the election results in the county, only to reverse course. But after the board unanimously voted to certify the results, the two canvassers on Wednesday attempted to rescind their votes in favor of doing so. Prior to this attempt on Wednesday, The Associated Press reports Trump reached out to them.
"A person familiar with the matter said Trump reached out to the canvassers ... on Tuesday evening after the revised vote to express gratitude for their support," AP writes. "Then, on Wednesday, Palmer and Hartmann signed affidavits saying they believe the county vote 'should not be certified.'"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Palmer confirmed the reporting, telling The Washington Post that Trump "was checking in to make sure I was safe after hearing the threats and doxing that had occurred" and that they spoke on the phone on Tuesday night for about two minutes. She said they "really didn't discuss the details of the certification."
President-elect Joe Biden was projected to defeat Trump in Michigan on the day after the election, one of a number of states Trump lost after winning there in 2016. More than two weeks after Election Day, Trump has not conceded the race to Biden and continues to push baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud.
According to The Washington Post, Palmer and Hartmann claim they were "improperly pressured into certifying the election and accused Democrats of reneging on a promise to audit votes in Detroit." Despite their attempt to rescind their vote, the board's vice chair, Democrat Jonathan Kinloch, told The New York Times, "That vote was final. That vote was binding."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Ultimate pasta alla NormaThe Week Recommends White miso and eggplant enrich the flavour of this classic pasta dish
-
Death in Minneapolis: a shooting dividing the USIn the Spotlight Federal response to Renee Good’s shooting suggest priority is ‘vilifying Trump’s perceived enemies rather than informing the public’
-
5 hilariously chilling cartoons about Trump’s plan to invade GreenlandCartoons Artists take on misdirection, the need for Greenland, and more
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
Maduro pleads not guilty in first US court hearingSpeed Read Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy
-
Iran’s government rocked by protestsSpeed Read The death toll from protests sparked by the collapse of Iran’s currency has reached at least 19
-
Israel approves new West Bank settlementsSpeed Read The ‘Israeli onslaught has all but vanquished a free Palestinian existence in the West Bank’
-
US offers Ukraine NATO-like security pact, with caveatsSpeed Read The Trump administration has offered Ukraine security guarantees similar to those it would receive from NATO
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
