Donald Trump Pressured 2 Michigan Election Workers Not to Certify the 2020 Election, New Audio Reveals
In a shocking revelation, a recently discovered audio recording from 2020 has reportedly unveiled former President Donald Trump pressuring two Republican canvassers in Wayne County, Michigan, not to certify the 2020 election.
The audio recording, published by The Detroit News, allegedly captured Trump and Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel making promises to the two canvassers if they refused to certify the election results.
According to the outlet, the phone call took place on November 17, 2020, and featured Trump urging the canvassers, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, to "fight for our country" and not allow "these people" to take it away.
The report also indicated that McDaniel instructed Palmer and Hartmann not to sign the certification, saying, "If you can go home tonight, do not sign it... We will get you attorneys." Trump reassured them by stating, "We'll take care of that."
The consequences of Palmer and Hartmann's actions were significant. Following the phone call, they left the canvassers' meeting without signing the official statement of votes for Wayne County.
The next day, they attempted to revoke their votes in favor of certification by filing legal affidavits, claiming they were under pressure. Had they succeeded, these moves would have cast doubt on the statewide certification of Michigan's 2020 election results.
The outlet quotes Craig Mauger, a reporter for The Detroit News, who stated, "We heard four minutes of what could be an up to 11-minute call, according to Verizon phone records previously obtained by the January 6th committee. We don't know what was said during the entirety of the call."
The existence of the audio recording raises questions regarding the full extent and implications of Trump's alleged pressure on the canvassers.
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Trump has been indicted, arrested and charged on 13 charges in Georgia for his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.
The 98-page indictment, issued in August, claimed the ex-president "unlawfully conspired" to change the election outcome while participating in a "criminal enterprise."
Other charges included false claims of election fraud and solicitation of violation of oath.
It's still unclear if the newly surfaced audio will be used against Trump in the Georgia case or any of the other 91 criminal charges he currently faces.
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Trump has denied all criminal wrongdoing and has frequently called every indictment against him a political "witch hunt" to prevent him from winning the 2024 presidential election.