Michigan election chief sounds off dire warning about Trump after audio of pressure effort

Following the report that former President Donald Trump tried to pressure canvassers in Michigan to block certification of election results, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wrote a dire warning about the threat the former president still poses in The Daily Beast.

"For me, the lowest moment in the post-election battle to protect Michigan’s accurate and legitimate election results in 2020 was not when armed protestors stormed my home," wrote Benson. "It wasn’t when a gathering of Trump supporters showed up to Michigan’s State Capitol demanding to be let in as the state’s 'true slate of electors' when we all were sheltered in the State Senate Chambers finalizing the electoral college. It wasn’t even when Rudy Giuliani came to town to headline a sham legislative hearing filled with lies about our elections. No, the most challenging time for me was the night of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers meeting."

She continued:

"I distinctly remember coming home that evening feeling completely defeated," wrote Benson. "We knew about the pressure on the two members of the Board not to certify. We were prepared to go to court to ensure certification at the local and state level — and we were confident we’d win. But blocking certification in Wayne County and pushing this to the courts was part of a bigger plan to delay the process and foster doubt and uncertainty that would enable the Trump campaign to push Pennsylvania, which was certifying the next week, to delay as well. After that, we knew other dominos would fall — Georgia, Wisconsin, maybe even New Mexico."

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Michigan was an epicenter of efforts by the former president to block the election results. Earlier this year, the fake electors declared for Trump in the state were indicted on felony charges.

Ultimately, Trump's efforts to block the vote failed in the state, and President Joe Biden's win was certified — but it is important that everyone be "ready" for what Trump might be planning next, Benson concluded.

"We learned our lessons from 2020. Our successes in 2022 were clear proof that we have a strategy, too: making sure every citizen’s voice is heard and every vote is counted," she wrote. "As we head into 2024, we will be on the alert in every precinct and every district across the state, empowering every citizen with the truth and facts they need to have confidence in their vote, their voice, and our elections. And no matter what we face, I know we will ensure that an attempt like Trump’s in 2020 to overturn an election will never succeed."

Read the piece here.