Amidst mounting controversies surrounding the 2020 presidential election, new revelations have emerged, suggesting that former President Donald Trump engaged in a campaign to influence Michigan election officials. The Detroit News has reported that Trump, in a phone call dated November 17, 2020, implored two Wayne County Board of Canvassers Republicans not to certify Joe Biden’s victory in Michigan.
The recordings of the call, reviewed by the Michigan news outlet, capture Trump urging the officials to withhold their certification, emphasizing that doing so was crucial to “fight for our country.” Trump asserted that certifying the election results would make them appear “terrible” and alleged that Republicans were “cheated” in the election, stating, “everybody knows Detroit is crooked as hell.”
Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county encompassing the Democratic stronghold of Detroit, with its significant Black majority population, became the focal point of Trump’s alleged pressure tactics. The revelation comes at a time when Trump, a leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination, is already facing federal and state criminal charges related to claims of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election—a controversy that culminated in the violent attack on Congress.
Despite these charges, Trump vehemently denies any wrongdoing, dismissing them as a political witch hunt aimed at undermining his campaign. He continues to propagate unfounded claims of widespread voting fraud in the 2020 election.
The report also highlights Trump’s legal challenges in Georgia, where he faces charges for attempting to overturn his election loss to Biden. A personal phone call to Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, urging him to “find” enough votes to reverse the defeat, is among the focal points of these charges.
In Michigan, while authorities have filed felony charges against 16 Republican state residents for their alleged involvement in a false electors scheme, Trump himself has not been charged. The state’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, expressed support for ongoing investigations and drew a direct connection between the recorded conversations and the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as lawmakers met to certify Biden’s election win.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with other key figures implicated in the reported call, has not yet commented on the revelations. Ronna McDaniel, Republican National Committee Chairwoman, who was reported to have been on the Michigan call, stood by her request for an audit, indicating that there was ample evidence warranting further scrutiny. Both McDaniel and Trump offered to provide legal representation for the board members involved.
As the controversy unfolds, it remains to be seen how these developments will impact Trump’s political future and the broader discourse surrounding the integrity of the 2020 election.
