Trump Urges Georgia Secretary Of State To ‘Find’ Votes In Recorded Phone Call

President Donald Trump on Saturday pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to recalculate the state’s tally of presidential election votes to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

In the hour-long cellphone name, a recording of which was first obtained by The Washington Post, Trump pushed baseless conspiracy theories about voter fraud and advised Raffensperger that Georgians are “angry” with the election outcomes.

“We have won this election in Georgia,” Trump falsely claimed in the course of the name. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying that, Brad. You know, I mean, having the correct ― the people of Georgia are angry. … And there’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, that you’ve recalculated.”

Raffensperger might be heard pushing again on Trump’s request, telling the president that the info he used to again up his claims are “wrong.”

“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump advised Raffensperger at one other level within the dialog. “Because we won the state.”

With lower than three weeks left till the presidential inauguration, Trump nonetheless has not conceded the race to Biden and continues to falsely declare that the election was “rigged” towards him. He has centered particular consideration on Georgia, which he gained in 2016 however misplaced to Biden in November by fewer than 13,000 votes.

But prime Georgia officers ― together with Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who was a vocal supporter of the president main as much as the election ― have mentioned the state’s election course of was free and honest and that the outcomes are reliable.

Neither the Justice Department nor election officers nationwide have discovered any proof of widespread voter fraud or ballot-counting irregularities.

During the Saturday name, Trump advised Raffensperger that he “should want to have an accurate election” and identified that the secretary of state is a Republican.

“We believe that we do have an accurate election,” Raffensperger mentioned.

Trump later accused Raffensberger of committing a “criminal offense” by knowingly overlaying up a conspiracy towards the president and warned the secretary of state that his actions could be “very costly in many ways.”

“I think you have to say that you’re going to reexamine it,” Trump mentioned. “And you can reexamine it but reexamine it with people that want to find answers.”

The Post printed audio clips of the decision hours after Trump and Raffensberger exchanged barbs on Twitter. The president had claimed the Georgia secretary of state was “unwilling” to reply questions on so-called voter fraud throughout their dialog Saturday.

“Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true,” Raffensberger tweeted in response. “The truth will come out.”

Raffensperger’s workplace introduced final week that it had accomplished a poll signature audit and located no proof of fraud within the presidential election. Georgia had already carried out a hand recount and a subsequent machine recount on the request of the Trump marketing campaign; each opinions affirmed Biden’s win within the state.

Judges throughout the nation have thrown out lawsuits filed by the Trump marketing campaign and Republicans to problem the election outcomes, together with one appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court final month.

Raffensperger advised Trump Saturday that he stands by the state’s election numbers and reminded the president that he can pursue challenges to these numbers within the court docket system if he deems it mandatory.

“You would be respected, really respected if this thing could be straightened out before the election,” Trump advised him. “You have a big election coming up on Tuesday.”

Some Republicans have expressed concern over Trump’s efforts to sow discord over the election course of in Georgia, the place two extremely anticipated Senate runoff elections Tuesday will decide which celebration controls the higher chamber. The president’s assaults towards the state’s election system might result in low Republican voter turnout, in accordance with some GOP operatives.

On Wednesday, a number of Republican senators and dozens of GOP House members are anticipated to object to the certification of the Electoral College votes throughout a joint congressional session.

At least 11 Republican senators, together with Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, are a part of that bloc of challengers. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has publicly urged GOP lawmakers to not object to the certification course of. 

On Sunday, a bipartisan group of 10 senators, together with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and  Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, known as on their fellow members to formally certify Biden’s win.

“The 2020 election is over,” the group wrote in a joint statement. “All challenges through recounts and appeals have been exhausted. At this point, further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people. … It is time to move forward.”