President Trump has reportedly invited Republican Michigan state legislators to visit the White House amid a campaign to overturn election results in the state.
An official familiar with the matter confirmed that the president will be meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, (R-16-Clarklake) and House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-107-Levering) on Friday, according to The Detroit News.
The meeting comes among turmoil in Michigan over the certification of election results in Wayne County. Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers have flipped on their vote multiple times this week, originally refusing to certify the vote before deciding to vote in favor of certification on Tuesday night. The two members then attempted to rescind their vote on Thursday, saying that they had originally certified their vote due to threats of violence, according to The Hill.
Trump then later allegedly spoke to Monica Palmer, one of the Republican members of the board, the outlet said.
The Trump campaign has withdrawn a lawsuit in the state, saying that the members’ rescinding of the certification made the suit — originally filed to contest Michigan’s election results — null.
“This morning we are withdrawing our lawsuit in Michigan,” Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, said in a statement, according to Fox News, adding that the decision to withdraw the suit is the “direct result of achieving the relief we sought: to stop the election in Wayne County from being prematurely certified before residents can be assured that every legal vote has been counted and every illegal vote has not been counted.”
Officials have reportedly said that the original vote to certify the results remains final, The Hill reported.
United States Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) encouraged legislators invited to the White House to “defend our democracy.”
Gentlemen, this may be the thing you are remembered for.
Please defend our democracy.
— Rep. Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) November 19, 2020
U.S. Rep Paul Mitchell (R-MI) told The Detroit News he believes Trump has called Chatfield and Shirkey to the White House to pressure them to appoint pro-Trump electors and to push the board of canvassers to not certify the election.
“For them to do anything other than to respect the popular vote is a violation of their oath of office. They took an oath like I took an oath to the Constitution, but in their case to the state Constitution, and the laws of the state don’t say you get to appoint anyone you want,” Mitchell told the outlet.
Gov. Whitmer also slammed the meeting in a press conference on Thursday.
“All of the meetings in the world can’t take away from the fact that Joe Biden won Michigan by over 150,000 votes,” she said, the outlet said.
Biden is currently reported to have 50.6% of the vote in Michigan, while Trump has 47.8%, according to The Associated Press.
The meeting is reportedly set for Friday.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter for The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.
