In recorded call, Trump pressures Georgia election official to change results - Washington Post

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump departs on travel to West Point, New York from the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Cheriss May

 

(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Georgia's top election official to "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat in the southern state, according to excerpts of a recording of the hour-long call released by the Washington Post on Sunday.

 

The call on Saturday was the latest move in Trump's two-month effort to claim that his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election was the result of widespread voter fraud, a claim that has been widely rejected by state and federal election officials as well as multiple courts.

 

Trump's call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, came as some of Trump's allies in the U.S. Congress said they plan to object to the formal certification on Wednesday of Biden's victory. The former vice president won by a margin of 306-232 in the state-by-state Electoral College, and by more than 7 million votes overall.

 

The Washington Post said that during the call Trump alternately flattered, begged and threatened Raffensperger with vague criminal consequences in an attempt to undo his loss.

 

Raffensperger and his office's general counsel rejected Trump's assertions throughout, and told the president that he was relying on debunked conspiracy theories spread on social media about what was a fair and accurate election, according to the audio excerpts and the newspaper's account.

 

"The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry," Trump said, according to one audio excerpt published online by the Post. "And there's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've recalculated."

 

"So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state," Trump said in the recording, insisting that there was "no way" he lost the state.

 

The White House declined to comment. Raffensperger's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Biden's transition office had no immediate comment.

 

The call came days before U.S. Senator Ted Cruz is set to lead several of Trump's allies in Congress in a long-shot bid to disrupt the formal recognition of Biden's win.

 

Biden's narrow victory in Georgia was the first by a Democratic presidential candidate in a generation and has raised hopes among Democrats that they could win a pair of U.S. Senate runoffs in the state on Tuesday, giving their party control of Congress.

 

Even if Trump had won Georgia's 16 Electoral College votes, he would still have lost the White House to Biden, who will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.

 

Before the Washington Post published its report of the call, Trump said on Twitter on Sunday that he had spoken by phone with Raffensperger about voter fraud in Georgia.

 

"He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the 'ballots under table' scam, ballot destruction, out of state 'voters', dead voters, and more. He has no clue!" Trump tweeted.

 

Raffensperger responded on Twitter: "Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out."

 

News of Saturday's call drew immediate criticism from congressional Democrats including Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee.

 

"Trump's contempt for democracy is laid bare. Once again. On tape," Schiff wrote on Twitter. "Pressuring an election official to 'find' the votes so he can win is potentially criminal, And another flagrant abuse of power by a corrupt man who would be a despot, if we allowed him. We will not."

 

(Reporting by Michael Martina in Detroit; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay and Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-04

 

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Buffoon! 

That’s an attempted coup imo dude sounds just like some low life mob boss on a side note I have tremendous respect for Georgia’s sec.of state to stand up to potus there is a man of principle and true courage kudos sir

Then lies about the call on twitter. Goose.

I'm curious to know which excuse his supporters will find, this time.

No need for investigations into outside influences about election rigging, POTUS itself has been recorded by its own party people, interfering, surely that is enough for him to be invetigated and possibly face charges.

 

I guess he has been taken out of contect>> enter press secretary, who has been amazing silent for weeks.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Then lies about the call on twitter. Goose.

A goose has greater survival instincts, and knows the direction to fly to get some food and rest, more than we say for POTUS

That was a felony that Trump committed right there.  Hard to see how the Biden DoJ can justify giving him a pass on it.

Fake president ????

19 minutes ago, candide said:

I'm curious to know which excuse his supporters will find, this time.

 

Will trump world even bother to do so? It's self evident trump and his enablers are throughly corrupt, anti democratic group which has degenerated into a cult. trump supporters are even voting people into power who allegedly believe in lizard people! trump and millions of his base apparently have totally lost the plot. Don't envy Biden, his challenges to get the US back onto an even keel will be enormous.

 

trump's latest missive? Covid death count is 'fake news' the man is an insult to the American people.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/trump-said-cdc-covid-tracker-fake-news-and-exaggerates-cases-2021-1?r=US&IR=T

 

 

17 minutes ago, candide said:

I'm curious to know which excuse his supporters will find, this time.

Hang around and I’m sure they won’t disappoint. 

2 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Will trump world even bother to do so? It's self evident trump and his enablers are throughly corrupt, anti science, anti democratic group

Paleo-conservatives ably assisted by Mr Murdoch and his minions.Trump and Murdoch thought that they had the manipulating power between them to do virtually anything they wanted to do...

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

Paleo-conservatives ably assisted by Mr upert has been spectacMurdoch and his minions.Trump and Murdoch thought that they had the manipulating power between them to do virtually anything they wanted to do...

Rupert has been spectacularly silent on all this.

I am wondering where is the republican chair is in all this, surely they should just tell him to stop ruining the image of the party and go quietly after this, show some a last vestage of dignity.

Oh I forgot, dignity has more than two sylables, so not in the lexicon.

 

3 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Paleo-conservatives ably assisted by Mr Murdoch and his minions.Trump and Murdoch thought that they had the manipulating power between them to do virtually anything they wanted to do...

 

They're no longer buddies, Murdoch also doesn't like 'losers'.

3 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

They're no longer buddies, Murdoch also doesn't like 'losers'.

Ah but Fox...keeps backing and filling and was certainly promoting the "voter fraud" accusations for a while.

If Murdoch has finally decided that he is a loser...he might be casting around for someone even more malleable..perhaps Kim Kardashian?????

I firmly believe that Trump was extremely malleable and putty in the hands of the media baron-he was,after all, an ageing "reality" TV star.

3 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Ah but Fox...keeps backing and filling and was certainly promoting the "voter fraud" accusations for a while.

If Murdoch has finally decided that he is a loser...he might be casting around for someone even more malleable..perhaps Kim Kardashian?????

I firmly believe that Trump was extremely malleable and putty in the hands of the media baron-he was,after all, an ageing "reality" TV star.

 

trump would have created lots of profits for Murdoch. Yes, it will be interesting to see who he next backs

Oh dear Donald, hoist by your own petard!

And pretty much sure that is the first of many recordings that will now be surfacing.

Trump is desperate, he knows what is coming. Biden won't have to lift a finger, the Department of Justice and FBI are just waiting for January 20 to come around,

There is no end to Trump's turpitude, moral or otherwise.

I'm no lawyer, but pretty sure a good one could come up with severe federal charges on this on.  Stunning his supporters are OK with this.  Proves how bad they are if they support this BS.

I am sure Putin and the rocket man and some other dictators will laugh because Trump tries to do what they are doing.

And America wants to be seen at the top democracy of this world - pathetic.

And it's not only Trump. Every single politician who wants democracy should stand up to him. How many GOP politicians do that? What a bunch of spineless greedy bastards.

34 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Trump is desperate, he knows what is coming. Biden won't have to lift a finger, the Department of Justice and FBI are just waiting for January 20 to come around,

There is no end to Trump's turpitude, moral or otherwise.

And let's not forget: Over 74,000,000 Americans want(ed) 4 more years of the same.

I am awaiting the supporters, to come back with their speaking points on this, once they have contacted trump central for todays denialists statements>>>> but>>but>>

 

 

1. The headline does say this is from the Washington Post.  That says a lot.

 

2. Where's the audio?

https://youtu.be/o3hrN0cP58Y

5 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

1. The headline does say this is from the Washington Post.  That says a lot.

 

2. Where's the audio?

Sad times when people question the reliability of sites like WaPo.  And fall for the conspiracy theories on fake news websites.  Stunning.

First excuse: "it didn't happen."

 

Second excuse: lawsuits

 

Third excuse: I was just doing my Tony Soprano impression.

 

 

And he doesn't even want to be president.

 

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, mikebike said:

https://youtu.be/o3hrN0cP58Y

My God.  Makes my head spin.  He should be taken out of office immediately.  Stunning anyone still supports his.  I just can't understand it.  I guess these people also believe the world is flat.

4 hours ago, Kelsall said:

1. The headline does say this is from the Washington Post.  That says a lot.

 

2. Where's the audio?

What, is your google search engine down or once again do Trumpers need spoonfeeding as they try and defend this [deleted] ?

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-transcript-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/2768e0cc-4ddd-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html

 

I know it's the WAPO, but I do not think you can dispute it's authenticity. Unless that is John Bannon speaking !

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/03/its-impeachable-its-likely-illegal-its-coup/

 

Threatening Raffensperger with criminal consequences is also arguably extortion. Title 18 Section 875 of the U.S. Code reads: “Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

 

Alternatively, the state attorney general of Georgia might investigate and bring applicable charges under state law. That would have one clear advantage: Trump cannot receive a federal pardon for state crimes.

Susan Collins is said to be thinking about becoming "concerned".