Michigan Leader Says Trump Didn’t Ask to ‘Interfere’ With the Election

President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Nov. 20, 2020. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

A GOP Michigan state senator said President Donald Trump didn’t ask him to “break the law” or “interfere” with the 2020 election when he met with the president last week.

Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield was among seven Republican state lawmakers who met with Trump on Nov. 20.

“There was this outrage that the president was going to ask us to break the law, he was going to ask us to interfere, and that just simply didn’t happen,” Chatfield told Fox News. He didn’t go into detail about what was discussed.

The Republican National Committee and the state Republican Party have called on the Board of State Canvassers, one of the bodies that certifies an election, to adjourn for two weeks to investigate alleged irregularities.

Chatfield said if the Board of State Canvassers doesn’t certify the results and the Michigan Supreme Court doesn’t order it to do so, “now we have a constitutional crisis.”

Chatfield and another state Republican leader said they weren’t aware of any information that would tip the scales for Trump.

“We have not yet been made aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election in Michigan and 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,” state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirley and Chatfield in a statement on Nov. 20.

They added, “Michigan’s certification process should be a deliberate process free from threats and intimidation. Allegations of fraudulent behavior should be taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and if proven, prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And the candidates who win the most votes win elections and Michigan’s electoral votes. These are simple truths that should provide confidence in our elections.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.