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- Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump has appeared at a rally in Georgia, after a leaked phone call revealed his attempts to sway election results in the state
- The hour-long phone conversation details the President’s attempts to persuade Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find 11,780 votes” so he can win
- The controversial phone call has sparked calls from top Democrats for Trump to be prosecuted for allegedly meddling in an election
- However, President Trump remains steadfast in his belief the election was actually stolen from him through fraudulent voting — though no evidence exists to support the claim
- Both Trump and President-elect Joe Biden appeared in Georgia on Monday to urge people to vote in the Senate run-offs, which will decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate
Donald Trump has appeared at a political rally in Georgia, days after a leaked phone call revealed his attempts to sway the election results in The Peach State.
The hour-long phone conversation, leaked on Sunday, details the outgoing U.S. President’s attempts to persuade Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find 11,780 votes” to reverse his loss in the state.
“So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump is heard saying on the leaked call.
“So what are we going to do here, folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break,” he added.
In response, Brad Raffensperger and his attorney told the President that “his data was wrong” and repeatedly refuted Trump’s claims that votes had been tampered with.
Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true. The truth will come out https://t.co/ViYjTSeRcC
— GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) January 3, 2021
Trump’s call to Secretary Raffensperger came after a number of U.S. courts threw out the President and his legal team’s attempts to overturn the election results in several key states, including Georgia.
The leaked phone call has since sparked multiple calls from top Democrats for the President to be prosecuted for allegedly trying to meddle in an election.
Vice President Kamala Harris described the phone call by Trump as a “bold abuse of power.”
“Have y’all heard about that recorded conversation?” the VP asked a crowd of people attending a rally in Georgia.
“Well it was, yes, certainly, the voice of desperation, most certainly that, and it was a bald, bald-faced, bold abuse of power by the President of the United States,” she added.
Harris, President-elect Joe Biden and Donald Trump have all flocked to Georgia ahead of a run-off election on Tuesday.
Trump used his time campaigning in Georgia to reiterate his views that the election was stolen from him — though no evidence exists to support this.
“Hello Georgia. By the way, there’s no way we lost Georgia. There’s no way. That was a rigged election,” the President said after taking the stage on Monday night.
“But we’re still fighting. You’ll see what’s going to happen, and we’ll talk about it. You know, I’ve had two elections. I won both of them, it’s amazing,” he added.
The President also used his time on stage to address the controversial phone call, stating that “everyone loved my phone call.”
The run-off election in Georgia will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, which is currently controlled by Trump’s own party, the Republicans.
