Monday, 7 Oct 2024

Trump supporters protest Michigan’s election results outside its secretary of state’s home.

Supporters of President Trump on Saturday night took their anger over the results of the election from the steps of the state Capitol to a quiet neighborhood in Detroit, Mich., where Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson lives.

About 20 protesters, some of them armed, stood in front of Ms. Benson’s home for about a half-hour, chanting through bullhorns that they refused to accept the results of the election, which President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. won in Michigan by more than 154,000 votes.“No audit, No peace,” they shouted, adding that Ms. Benson was a “murderer” and a “felon.” Officers with the Detroit Police Department showed up after about 20 minutes, but no arrests were made.

The demonstration was the latest example of the hostility facing some state elections officials across the country. Many have received emails, telephone calls and letters loaded with menace and even threats of violence, resulting from their work in the election. In Georgia, even the wife of the secretary of state received “sexualized threats.”

Ms. Benson put out a statement that she was at home with her family, including her 4-year-old son, at the time of the protest.

“Through threats of violence, intimidation, and bullying, the armed people outside my home and their political allies seek to undermine and silence the will and voices of every voter in this state, no matter who they voted for,” Ms. Benson, a Democrat, said in the statement. “Their goal is to overturn and upend the results of an election that are clear and unequivocal.”

Video of the protests were posted on the “Stop the Steal Michigan” Facebook site and showed that the group, which has sponsored several protests at the State Capitol and at busy intersections in Detroit since the Nov. 3 election, were becoming more targeted with their demonstrations.

The protests come after the Trump campaign or his allies have filed at least five lawsuits, trying to overturn the results of the election in Michigan. All have failed as county, state and federal judges have noted that the claims of a rigged election were baseless and affidavits filed by Republican poll challengers have not been credible. The election has been certified by the 83 counties in Michigan and by the state Board of Canvassers.

In addition to the lawsuits, Republicans have held two separate legislative committee hearings featuring 11 hours of testimony over two days from Republican poll challengers and Mr. Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani. Mr. Giuliani is trying to get the state to award its 16 electors to Mr. Trump, but legislative leaders have said they would follow state law, which requires the winner of the popular vote be awarded the 16 Electoral College votes.

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