The Republican heroes and villains of Trump’s attempt to steal the election – The Guardian

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In November, Donald Trump became the first president in American history to try to hold on to power that voters had given to someone else in the course of a national election.

The plot did not unfold in one dramatic scene. Instead, Trump lured Republicans to commit a series of coercive acts on his behalf under a false banner of non-existent election fraud the attempted steal masquerading as a security measure.

It might have worked. Many Republicans went along actively or silently. These included well-known national figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, Lindsey Graham and most other Republican senators.

But to succeed, Trumps plot depended not only on the top Republicans he dominates but also on the cooperation of hundreds of state and local officials. Over three crucial weeks in November, some of those officials made individual decisions that could have seen the plot through, while others thwarted it.

Here is an incomplete list of some of the lesser-known Republican friends and foes of US democracy who emerged in the historic November 2020 battle over its fate.

To stay in power, Trump needed to prevent states from certifying the results of their 3 November votes, or to convince Republican legislators to try to throw out state results. Trumps key targets included officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania. He found some ready accomplices.

Norman Shinkle

A former state senator in Michigan who refused to certify the states result despite independent certifications by all 83 Michigan counties and no evidence of fraud to cast doubt on Bidens 154,000-vote win in the state. Shinkle said he thought the result in majority-Black Detroit needs to be looked at. One county clerk called Shinkles abstention shocking and disgusting.

Monica Palmer and William Hartmann

Republican canvassers in Wayne county, Michigan, who sought to reverse their certification of the election result after Trump made a phone call to Palmer. She demanded an audit of the Detroit vote before the certification of its result, in defiance of law. She later said she was unaware of the law.

Mike Shirkey and Lee Chatfield

Republican leaders of the Michigan state senate and house who accepted an invitation to visit Trump at the White House as the president tried to prevent the state from certifying Bidens 82,000-vote win. In the Oval Office, Shirkey and Chatfield received a telephone briefing by Rudy Giuliani about fake election fraud. They later lied and said the meeting with Trump was about Covid-19 economic relief. They were photographed drinking Dom Prignon at Trumps hotel in Washington DC after their meeting.

Joe Gale

A Republican board of elections member in the Philadelphia suburbs who refused to certify a 27-point Biden win in his county. I believe the US supreme court should review the travesty that has happened in Pennsylvania, Gale said. Trumps campaign never presented any evidence of voter fraud to Pennsylvania courts, which threw out almost every Trump case.

Keith Gould and Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt

Republican members of the board of elections in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, were so committed to Trumps election fraud fairytale that they refused to certify the vote in a county Trump won by 14 points. Three Democrats on the board outvoted them to certify Trumps win in the county.

Kayleigh McEnany

After an almost two-month absence from the White House briefing room, the press secretary appeared 17 days after the election to spread Trumps lie about election fraud. There are very real claims out there that the campaign is pursuing, she said. Separately she lied about Trumps meeting with Michigan legislators saying it was not an advocacy meeting, there will be no one from the campaign there he routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country.

Ronna McDaniel

The chair of the Republican national committee and Michigan native appeared at a news conference two days after the election and spread lies about discrepancies and irregularities, demanding an audit of the Michigan vote before certification in defiance of state election law. Under her leadership, the Republican national party spread wild and conspiratorial claims that Trump had actually won in a landslide. A majority of Republican voters now tell pollsters they believe the election was fraudulent.

Opposite those state and local officials who refused to certify election results were Republican officials who certified Bidens win.

Never in American history has such an action been interpreted as the stuff of heroism with election results always routinely certified no matter who won, as the constitution would have it.

But in 2020 these officials had to withstand a pressure campaign by Trump, who named many of them in tweets, leading to death threats against them and their families.

Al Schmidt

A Republican election commissioner in Philadelphia who stood up to Trump. The weekend after the election, Schmidt went on 60 Minutes and said Trumps claims about fraud in Philadelphia were bogus.

At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I dont understand, Schmidt said. Counting votes cast on or before election day by eligible voters is not corruption. It is not cheating. It is democracy.

From the inside looking out, it all feels very deranged.

Aaron Van Langevelde

Republican vice-chair of a state canvassing board who voted to certify Bidens win in Michigan. Langevelde broke what would have been a deadlock caused by Shinkles perfidy. We have a duty to certify this election based on these returns, that is very clear, he said.

We must not attempt to exercise power we simply dont have, Langevelde continued. As John Adams once said, we are a government of laws, not men. This board needs to adhere to that principle here today. This board must do its part to uphold the rule of law and comply with our legal duty to certify this election.

Christopher Krebs

The former director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, fired by Trump for defying the presidents vote fraud lies. Nine days after the election, Krebss agency issued a statement beginning, The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. Krebs was fired a week later, but he continued speaking out about election integrity. After a Trump campaign lawyer said Krebs should be taken out at dawn and shot, Krebs said he would sue.

Gabriel Sterling

A Republican official who oversaw the implementation of the state of Georgias new voting system, Sterling delivered an impassioned speech warning about death threats against election workers and saying Trump is inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence.

Addressing Trump, Sterling said:

Were investigating, theres always a possibility, I get it. You have the rights to go to the courts. What you dont have the ability to do and you need to step up and say this is stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someone is going to get hurt, someone is going to get shot, someone is going to get killed, and its not right. Its not right.

Brad Raffensperger

The Republican secretary of state in Georgia who stood up to Trump and insisted that Bidens upset victory in the state was legit. Im a conservative Republican. Yes, I wanted President Trump to win. But as secretary of state we have to do our job, Raffensperger said in an interview with the Guardian. Im gonna walk that fine, straight, line with integrity. I think that integrity still matters.

In reply, Trump said of Raffensperger: Hes an enemy of the people.

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The Republican heroes and villains of Trump's attempt to steal the election - The Guardian