Trump Recorded Pressuring Detroit Officials Not to Certify 2020 Election

Former President Donald Trump was recorded in 2020 urging two Detroit GOP election officials not to sign their county’s certification of the election result, The Detroit News (Center bias) reported. 

The Details: The recording includes a Nov. 17, 2020 phone call with Trump and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. The officials, Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, took the call in a vehicle shortly after a Wayne County Board of Canvassers meeting in which they initially voted against election certification before voting for it on the condition that an audit could be held later. 

Key Quotes: In the call, Trump told Palmer and Hartmann they would look “terrible” if they signed the certification after voting against it. McDaniel told the pair, “If you can go home tonight, do not sign it. ... We will get you attorneys.” Trump added, “We'll take care of that.” Palmer and Hartmann ultimately followed McDaniel’s plan, leaving without signing the certification.

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was generally more common in left-rated outlets than in right-rated outlets. A New York Post (Lean Right bias) headline stood out by highlighting McDaniel, who has recently come under fire from Republicans over successive GOP election defeats; an MSNBC (Left bias) opinion headline said Trump had been “meddling in Michigan.”