When Donald Trump first began making noises about how he’d won the 2020 presidential election, which began at around 2:30 A.M. EST the morning after the election when several states had not yet been called, it was assumed that he’d rant for a bit and then sulk away his last two and a half months in office. As it turns out, he’s serious about trying to overturn the election results, and Republican lawmakers are flirting dangerously close with helping him do it.
Voters chose America. Now, Michigan Republicans must do the same. pic.twitter.com/ETgbQakbFe
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 20, 2020
The Lincoln Project highlighted on story of Trump’s attempts to undermine democracy in a new video. The president has filed lawsuits in a number of states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, among others, and is currently 1-30 on those legal battles alleging massive voter fraud. In Michigan, his attempts to sue or argue his way back into power haven’t worked, so Trump seems to have developed another strategy for trying to steal the election.
According to POLITICO:
‘On Thursday, the post-election narrative seemed to edge further down that path, as the Republican leaders of Michigan’s two legislative chambers—Senator Mike Shirkey and Representative Lee Chatfield—agreed to take a meeting with the President in Washington tomorrow. Until that point Shirkey and Chatfield were signaling that they didn’t intend to second-guess Michigan’s voters, who chose Biden by more than 150,000 votes. But by taking the White House meeting, they indicated their possible openness to changing their minds.’
“The danger for Shirkey and Chatfield, then, is that they are being visibly invited to a meeting where the likely agenda involves the felony of attempting to bribe a public official.”
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) November 20, 2020
State Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-MI) and Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield (R-MI) have agreed to a meeting with Trump at the White House ahead of announcing their decision to certify the election results. As The Lincoln Project notes in their video, Joe Biden won by a significant number of votes in a race that was not close. His attempts to convince state officials to send electors to elect Trump in for a second term despite the state’s vote totals is nothing less than a power grab that goes against every principle the United States has ever stood for. And Republicans seem to be open to helping him do it.
‘The scheduled meeting threatens two kinds of danger. At the largest level, it threatens the system of democratic presidential elections: If state officials start claiming the right to overturn elections because of vague claims about “fraud,” our democratic system will be unworkable. But in a more specific and immediate way, it threatens the two Michigan legislators, personally, with the risk of criminal investigation.’
Gentlemen, this may be the thing you are remembered for.
Please defend our democracy.
— Rep. Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) November 19, 2020
While the president’s actions are bad enough on their own, he’s leaving office in just a handful of weeks. Republican lawmakers who attempt to keep their seats while helping Trump cheat will face a range of legal battles, some of which may involve criminal charges.
‘Republican state legislators have been standing up for the idea that fair, democratic elections are more important than any individual president. If Shirkey and Chatfield are reconsidering that view, they are playing with the possibility of throwing out the results of a free and fair election. That’s not something that the system comes back from easily.’
The people of Michigan have spoken. They chose @JoeBiden. Let @SenMikeShirkey and @LeeChatfield know that they can’t sell out their state to help Donald Trump—no matter how much he begs them.
Call Lee Chatfield: (517) 373-2629
Call Mike Shirkey: (517) 373-5932— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 20, 2020
Featured image screenshot via YouTube