Mich. Lawmakers Back 'Normal Process' After Trump Meeting

They sound skeptical about overturning the vote
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 21, 2020 7:46 AM CST
Michigan Lawmakers Sound Skeptical on Overturning Vote
A 2019 photo of Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, left, and state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey.   (AP Photo/David Eggert, File)

President Trump met with Michigan's two most powerful state legislators on Friday, but the statement issued by the legislators afterward suggested they're not about to make any unusual moves regarding their state's vote count. "We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan," wrote state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, both Republicans. “We will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors, just as we have said throughout this election,” they added, per the Hill. Joe Biden leads Trump in the state by more than 150,000 votes, and a meeting on state certification is scheduled for Monday, notes the Washington Post.

The Post characterizes the pair's response as a "substantial setback" for Trump, especially after Georgia's certification of Biden's victory in that state on Friday as well. The AP also says the legislators appear to be "unswayed," though the pair's statement seemed to leave wiggle room. "Michigan's certification process should be a deliberate process free from threats and intimidation," it reads, but adds: "Allegations of fraudulent behavior should be taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and if proven, prosecuted to the full extent of the law." That's why some Democrats in the state were responding only with what the Post terms "cautious optimism" on the outcome. “Actions speak louder than words,” says Democratic election attorney Mark Brewer. The details of the meeting have not been released, and the White House has said it was not an "advocacy" meeting. (More Election 2020 stories.)

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