Election Day Plus Seventeen: Fri. November 20, 2020

The visit of the Republican leaders of the Michigan Senate and House to DC for a meeting with President Trump was the story of the day.

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Democratic National Committee
November 20, 2020 12:50 PM

Bipartisan Chorus Slams Michigan Leaders for Meeting with Trump Amid Bogus Election Claims 

“This goes beyond partisan politics, and it’s an attempt to subvert our democracy and undermine the will of Michigan voters,"

Ahead of Trump’s meeting with Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, a growing bipartisan chorus of Michigan leaders have spoken out against the meeting and the attempts by the Trump administration to circumvent the will of Michigan voters. As of the last vote total, President-elect Biden is leading Michigan by over 150,000 votes. 

Both Republican and Democratic Michigan Leaders have condemned the visit and attempts from the Trump campaign to reject the will of voters: 

Reps. Elissa Slotkin and Paul Mitchell in Detroit News: “It’s because of that risk that we must call upon elected and appointed leaders in Michigan to rise above the political pressure and the conspiracy theories and to lead as if your state and your country depend on you. Because they do. We remind our colleagues at all levels of government that history will judge us all and we should all act accordingly. Doing the right thing and the hard thing are often the same thing. Let’s show the country that Michigan residents believe in our democracy more than anything else.” 

Rep. Fred Upton: “The margin in Michigan is more than 145,000 and will not be overturned … No one has been able to show credible evidence of voter fraud, and I have not heard of any irregularities from my district. It's time for us to move forward." 

The Hill: Rep. Debbie Dingell: “This goes beyond partisan politics, and it’s an attempt to subvert our democracy and undermine the will of Michigan voters,"

Fox 2 Detroit: State Rep. Tyrone Carter: “They need to choose the United States over the person sitting in the office. He is not a king, he is not a dictator, he is an occupier,"

Detroit News Editorial: “Trump's ongoing scheming to throw out votes and block the certification of Michigan's election results will not produce more than the more than 150,000 votes separating him from President-elect Joe Biden. But they will enhance the division and distrust emanating from the recent election.”

Greeting Shirkey in Detroit at DTW:

Fox2 Detroit: Michigan Senate Leader Shirkey swarmed by activists at airport before flying to meet with Trump: “At the airport, activists holding signs chanted ‘protect our vote’ at Shirkey as he printed out a boarding pass and got in line to walk through security.”


Nick LaFave: Sen Shirkey flying out of Detroit to DC for his meeting w @realDonaldTrump.  

Greeting Shirkey and Chatfield in DC: 

A mobile billboard showing the CNN projection of Biden’s victory in Michigan and quoting Rep. Upton: “The votes have been counted. The American people have spoken, and they have chosen Joe Biden to serve as our next president.” See More


Brad Woodhouse: “Check out the mobile billboard we have driving around the White House today greeting the Michigan Republicans conspiring with ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ to steal the election. Courtesy of Save My Country Action Fund” 

Protestors at Reagan Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C. 

Kyle Stewart of NBC News: “.@SenMikeShirkey just arrived at Reagan Airport and was immediately surrounded by protestors chanting “Certify the results!” Shirkey and other Michigan GOP lawmakers are expected to meet with @realDonaldTrump today.”



Marshall Cohen of CNN: “Protesters greeted Michigan Senate Majority Leader @SenMikeShirkey with ‘shame on you’ chants when he arrived today in DC before his WH meeting with Trump, who is urging the Michigan legislature to overturn Biden's win. Shirkey has previously said ‘that's not going to happen.’”


Politico: “Shirkey and state Sen. Tom Barrett were met by a throng of protesters and reporters outside Reagan National Airport upon their arrival Friday. The pair passed through the airport without talking to the media. Earlier this week Shirkey told Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit news outlet, that the idea the legislature would defy the voters is ‘not going to happen.’’

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey
Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield

Legislative leaders meet with President Trump

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield today released the following statement after their meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House:

"The President of the United States extended invitations to us on Wednesday evening. We each accepted his invitation as we would accept an invitation from any sitting President if asked to meet at the White House. We were proud to be joined by our colleagues to represent Michigan in our nation's capital.

"We used our time in the White House to deliver a letter to President Trump making clear our support for additional federal funds to help Michigan in the fight against COVID-19. We have since sent the same correspondence to congressional leaders.

"Months ago, Michigan received funds through the federal CARES Act, and we used that funding to quickly support front line workers, improve testing, ensure adequate PPE, provide additional support to out-of­-work Michiganders, and deliver assistance to local businesses that are struggling through no fault of their own. We once again face a time in our state when additional support would go a long way to help those same residents who need our help.

"We highlighted our commitment to appropriating further federal dollars to Michiganders most in need as we continue to deal with the impact of COVID-19. We also emphasized our commitment to fiscal responsibility in the state budget as we move forward.

"The Senate and House Oversight Committees are actively engaged in a thorough review of Michigan's elections process and we have faith in the committee process to provide greater transparency and accountability to our citizens. We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and as legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan's electors, just as we have said throughout this election.

"Michigan's certification process should be a deliberate process free from threats and intimidation. Allegations of fraudulent behavior should be taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and if proven, prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And the candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan's electoral votes. These are simple truths that should provide confidence in our elections."


Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) Certifies Election Results


facebook live
...elections officials as they work to keep Georgia elections secure, accessible and fair.

Given the record number of absentee ballots and narrow margin in the November 3rd election for president in Georgia, I join many in backing a hand recount and urging a thorough investigation into any voting irregularities.

The Secretary of State oversaw complete audit, which revealed significant errors made in several accounts, including Floyd, Fayette, Douglas and Walton.

It is important for Georgians to know that the vast majority of local election workers did their job well under unprecedented circumstances, and I thank them for their service.

However, it is quite honestly hard to believe that during the audit thousands of uncounted ballots were found weeks after a razor thin outcome in a presidential election. This is simply unacceptable. I've heard directly from countless Georgians; they expect better, and they deserve better.

It's important to note that this audit only looked at ballots, not the signatures on the absentee applications or the signatures on the ballot envelopes. The Georgians I've heard from are extremely concerned about this. So I encourage Secretary Raffensperger to consider addressing these concerns. It seems simple enough to conduct a sample audit of signatures on the absentee ballot envelopes and compare those to the signatures on applications and on file at the Secretary of State's office.

This morning, the Secretary announced his support of strengthening photo ID requirements for absentee balloting. Voters casting their ballots in person must show a photo op and we should consider applying that same standard to mail in ballots.

I've heard from many members of the General Assembly, and I appreciate their input and share their concern. I look forward to working with Lieutenant Governor Duncan, Speaker Ralston, and members of both bodies to address the issues that have been raised over the last several weeks.

Earlier today Secretary Raffensperger presented the certified results of the 2020 general election to my office. Following Judge Grimsburg's ruling yesterday, state law now requires the governor's office to formalize the certification, which paves the way for the Trump campaign to pursue other legal options and a separate recount if they choose.

Georgia has runoff elections for two U.S. Senate seats and a public service commissioner scheduled to occur over the next several weeks. We demand complete explanations for all discrepancies identified, so that our citizens will have complete confidence in our elections. In the runoff election, we cannot have lost memory cards or stacks of uncounted ballots. We must have full transparency in all monitoring and counting. Every legal vote must be counted and the security of the ballot box must be protected.

As governor I have a solemn responsibility to follow the law. And that is what I'll continue to do. We must all work together to ensure citizens have confidence in future elections in our state. Thank you and God bless.


fundraising email from the campaign cites absurd electoral vote numbers from The Epoch Times...