Trump Threatens to Cut Off Funding to Michigan Based on False Claim They ‘Illegally’ Sent Out Absentee Ballots
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President Donald Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding to the state of Michigan, claiming without evidence that the state illegally distributed millions of absentee ballots.
“Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday. “This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!”
Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election. This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2020
[Trump deleted the tweet since this article was published. See update at bottom of post.]
It isn’t clear what prompted Trump’s tweet, but it comes after Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that all Michiganders registered to vote would receive applications that would let them submit absentee ballots for this year’s elections. Michigan law allows for permanent voting by mail, applications for which are already available online.
The state remains in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the gathering of crowds around polling areas has been a recurring source of concern throughout the health crisis.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting is susceptible to voter fraud, even though he has never been able to provide evidence of widespread corruption. Last month, he admitted that he also voted by mail, all while he continued to assail the process.
UPDATE – 9:12 a.m. ET: Benson has responded:
Hi! ?? I also have a name, it’s Jocelyn Benson. And we sent applications, not ballots. Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia. https://t.co/kBsu4nHvOy
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) May 20, 2020
In the meantime, Trump is leveling similar accusations at Nevada.
State of Nevada “thinks” that they can send out illegal vote by mail ballots, creating a great Voter Fraud scenario for the State and the U.S. They can’t! If they do, “I think” I can hold up funds to the State. Sorry, but you must not cheat in elections. @RussVought45 @USTreasury
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2020
UPDATE:
President Trump deleted the initial tweet and resent it, to not great reception.
LOL, he changed the tweet but is still sticking to the original argument, which is now even more nonsensical! https://t.co/RvColBVuWj
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 20, 2020
