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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has said President Donald Trump should “go quietly,” after Georgia certified its election results for Joe Biden last week.
In an interview published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution On Saturday Raffensperger, a Republican, said he had received threats and angry messages from the president and other GOP politicians who disagreed with his decision to certify the election.
“My job as Secretary of State is to make sure that we have fair and honest elections, that we follow the law, that we follow the process,” Raffensperger said in the interview. “When you lose an election, you should leave quietly. It is the will of the people that has been expressed,” he added.
Raffensperger’s office certified the election results after a painstaking recount on November 20. According to data released by his team, the recount confirmed that Biden won by more than 12,000 of the 5 million cast in Georgia.
“As Secretary of State, I think the figures we presented today are correct,” Raffensperger said at the November 20 press conference. “The numbers reflect the verdict of the people, not a decision of the secretary of state’s office or the courts or either campaign.”
But the announcement came to the dismay of the Trump campaign, which sought to maintain the president’s early lead in Georgia. On Twitter, the president attacked Raffensperger and accused him of participating in fraud.
Georgia’s secretary of state, a self-styled Republican (RINO), won’t let people who check the ballots see the signatures for fraud. Why? Without it, the whole process is very unfair and almost meaningless. Everyone knows that we have won the state. Where is @BrianKempGA?
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2020
“The Georgia Secretary of State, a self-styled Republican (RINO), will not let people who check the ballots see the signatures for fraud.” Why? Without it, the whole process is very unfair and almost meaningless. state, ”he tweeted.
Georgia’s two GOP senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who face a run-off for their seats, called on Raffensperger to step down for “mismanagement and lack of transparency” in the elections, but gave no example .
In response, Raffensperger said: “Let me start by saying that this will not happen. The voters in Georgia have hired me and the voters will be the ones who fire me.”
Paras Griffin / Getty
Two days after Raffensperger certified Georgia’s election, the Trump campaign called for another recount, after falsely claiming election officials were unable to verify signatures on missing ballot envelopes in the state.
“President Trump and his campaign continue to insist on an honest recount in Georgia, which must include matching signatures and other vital guarantees. Without matching signatures, this recount would be a sham and allow votes to be counted again. illegal, “a statement said. of the Trump campaign legal team said.
On Thanksgiving night, Trump called Raffensperger an “enemy of the people” and falsely accused him of working with Stacey Abrams to collect the ballots.
But Raffensperger remained firm in his decision to certify the results, saying that if he wanted the result to be different, the state of Georgia chose Biden.
“Like other Republicans, I am disappointed that our candidate did not win the electoral vote in Georgia. Tight elections create mistrust. People feel that their side has been deceived,” said the secretary of state.
“I don’t think it’s helpful when you create doubt in the electoral process,” Raffensperger added. “People could raise their arms and say, ‘Why vote? “”
Newsweek contacted Raffensperger for further comment, but did not receive a response in time for the post.
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