Trump Slams ‘Hapless’ Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Pressures Him to Use Emergency Powers to Uncover Election ‘Fraud’
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President Donald Trump called on “hapless” Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to “use his emergency powers” to search for alleged 2020 election fraud in the state on Monday.
“Why won’t Governor @BrianKempGA, the hapless Governor of Georgia, use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes,” questioned Trump on Twitter, claiming, “It will be a ‘goldmine’ of fraud, and we will easily WIN the state.”
“Also, quickly check the number of envelopes versus the number of ballots. You may just find that there are many more ballots than there are envelopes. So simple, and so easy to do,” he continued. “Georgia Republicans are angry, all Republicans are angry. Get it done!”
Why won’t Governor @BrianKempGA, the hapless Governor of Georgia, use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes. It will be a “goldmine” of fraud, and we will easily WIN the state….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
….Also, quickly check the number of envelopes versus the number of ballots. You may just find that there are many more ballots than there are envelopes. So simple, and so easy to do. Georgia Republicans are angry, all Republicans are angry. Get it done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
Business Insider senior politics reporter Grace Panetta soon pointed out to the president that Kemp “does not have this power,” and, “Signature matching already happened twice, first when the voter applied for the ballot and then the ballot was received.”
“Ballots w/ mismatched signatures that the voter does not cure are not counted and not included in this recount,” she explained, noting, “It’s impossible to do signature matching *again* because the ballots have already been separated from the envelopes with the voter’s name and signature on them. You just can’t trace back a ballot to a specific voter’s envelope after that separation.”
1) Governor Kemp does not have this power 2) Signature matching already happened twice, first when the voter applied for the ballot and then the ballot was received. Ballots w/ mismatched signatures that the voter does not cure are not counted and not included in this recount https://t.co/4bVsunnKHM
— Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) November 30, 2020
It’s impossible to do signature matching *again* because the ballots have already been separated from the envelopes with the voter’s name and signature on them. You just can’t trace back a ballot to a specific voter’s envelope after that separation https://t.co/EYmyMa7hXn
— Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) November 30, 2020
The Hill White House columnist Niall Stanage also tried to explain to the president.
Setting aside the bluster, the factual answer is: signatures on envelopes are verified first, then the actual ballots are disconnected **otherwise your vote would no longer be private.** ? https://t.co/M5ZtE55Rz5
— Niall Stanage (@NiallStanage) November 30, 2020
Could it be because there’s no mechanism or infrastructure to actually do a second signature match? (It already happened once, remember?) and because the former SoS actually knows how the system works?
This is getting old and more problematic. https://t.co/owmfWt4Wss
— stephen fowler covers Georgia’s election! (@stphnfwlr) November 30, 2020
Can’t imagine why some Rs are worried about what he might say when he visits the state. https://t.co/u55bNQSZY8
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 30, 2020
Nothing like undermining confidence in the GOP governor and entire elections administration of a state your party desperately needs to win in a month. https://t.co/Km2frG7yLC
— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) November 30, 2020
Please break the law and undermine democracy so I can narrow the margin of my Electoral College defeat to 42 electoral votes. https://t.co/b2jwZIMMrj
— Bill Scher (@billscher) November 30, 2020
Despite celebrating Kemp’s election as governor in 2018, Trump has repeatedly attacked him since narrowly losing to Joe Biden in the state during the 2020 presidential election.
“Georgia Secretary of State, a so-called Republican (RINO), won’t let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud. Why? Without this the whole process is very unfair and close to meaningless,” complained Trump earlier this month. “Everyone knows that we won the state. Where is @BrianKempGA?”
Georgia Secretary of State, a so-called Republican (RINO), won’t let the people checking the ballots see the signatures for fraud. Why? Without this the whole process is very unfair and close to meaningless. Everyone knows that we won the state. Where is @BrianKempGA?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2020
In another post, responding to a report that Kemp’s approval rating was slipping, Trump commented, “Wow! Governor Kemp will hopefully see the light before it is too late.”
Wow! Governor Kemp will hopefully see the light before it is too late. Must finally take charge! Two GREAT Senators, who do so much for Georgia and truly love the USA, are in a must win battle with two incompetents who don’t have a clue! https://t.co/j10ZRZpYjK
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2020
“Thousands of uncounted votes discovered in Georgia counties. When the much more important signature match takes place, the State will flip Republican, and very quickly. Get it done! @BrianKempGA,” the president declared in another.
Thousands of uncounted votes discovered in Georgia counties. When the much more important signature match takes place, the State will flip Republican, and very quickly. Get it done! @BrianKempGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2020
Most recently, during a Sunday interview with Fox News, Trump said, “The governor’s done nothing. He’s done absolutely nothing. I’m ashamed that I endorsed him.”
