Trump meets Michigan's top GOP lawmakers as Biden's win in Georgia reaffirmed

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U.S. President Donald Trump met with Republican leaders in Michigan state legislature at the White House on Friday, as the southern state of Georgia earlier announced that Democrat Joe Biden won the state's 16 electoral votes following its full hand recount.

After the meeting, which came days before the key swing state is scheduled to consider certifying its election results on Monday, the Michigan lawmakers said they "have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan."

"As legislative leaders, we will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan's electors, just as we have said throughout this election," the state's Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield said in a joint statement.

"Michigan's certification process should be a deliberate process free from threats and intimidation," the statement said, "the candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan's electoral votes."

Biden currently leads the president by more than 150,000 votes in Michigan, a state Trump won by about 11,000 votes in 2016, according to local media reports.

Earlier the day, Georgia certified its results of the 2020 general election following a full hand recount, making it official that Biden won the state's 16 electoral votes.

"As secretary of state, I believe that the numbers that we have presented today are correct," Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said at a news conference.

"Close margins of voters leads to fights that are as fierce after Election Day as the campaigns before," he said. "Close elections sow distrust. People feel their side was cheated. We saw this from the Democrats in 2018. And we see this from Republicans today."

The recount of roughly 5 million votes saw former vice president receive 12,284 more votes than Trump in the traditional Republican stronghold. Most counties saw only minor changes in their tallies, with the recount vote totals differing by single digits.

"The numbers reflect the verdict of the people, not a decision by the secretary of state's office or our courts, or of either campaigns," Raffensperger said.

The certification of the vote totals in each state is a major step in formalizing the final results of the 2020 U.S. general elections. A number of key swing states including Michigan and Pennsylvania are set to certify their election results before the end of this month.

Biden declared victory in the presidential election on Nov. 7. Trump hasn't conceded and is mounting challenges in court over allegations of voter fraud and counting misconduct.

A federal law sets what is called the "Safe Harbor" deadline, falling on Dec. 8, the day by which states must submit the winner of the presidential election if they are to be insulated from legal disputes.

Electoral College representatives will meet six days later, on Dec. 14, to formally select the next U.S. president.


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