The White House characterized President Trump’s meeting with Michigan’s top two Republican state legislators on Friday as routine, despite his campaign’s urgent effort to overturn the election results there.
Trump campaign lawyers including Rudolph W. Giuliani won’t attend the meeting because of their possible exposure to COVID-19, Axios reported. Mr. Giuliani’s son Andrew, who serves as an assistant to the president, tested positive, he revealed Friday morning.
Mr. Guiliani had indicated earlier Friday that he planned to attend the meeting with the Michigan legislators. But a White House official later said no campaign representatives will attend.
“This is not an advocacy meeting,” said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. “He routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country. There will be no one from the campaign there.”
No one, that is, besides Mr. Trump himself, who as the candidate is also the head of his campaign.
The president invited Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield for a meeting White House late on Friday afternoon. The meeting comes as Mr. Trump’s campaign is pushing to delay the state’s certification of the election, a move which could push the selection of presidential electors into the hands of the Republican-controlled legislature.
Both Michigan legislators have said they don’t expect the state to overturn the results of the election, which Mr. Biden won by more than 150,000 votes.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers are citing examples of alleged widespread election fraud in Detroit and Wayne County, primarily with mail-in ballots.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.