In Key States, Republicans Were Critical in Resisting Trump’s Election Narrative

However they rebuffed Mr. Trump nonetheless, issuing a press release shortly after leaving the White Home affirming that that they had seen no proof that will change the end result of the election and would let the winner of the favored vote stand.

However the Trump staff seized on any routine errors or far-fetched allegations to advance the trigger. In Rochester Hills, in Oakland County, votes in a single precinct had been posted within the absentee tally after which additionally posted within the in-person complete with out first being faraway from the absentee rely.

The error was shortly caught and rectified earlier than the outcomes turned official, however Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican Nationwide Committee, claimed that “we discovered 2,000 ballots that had been given to Democrats, that had been Republican ballots, because of a clerical error.”

Ms. Barton, who has served because the Rochester Hills clerk for eight years, discovered about Ms. McDaniel’s remark from a reporter and promptly took to social media to rebut the “categorically false” assertion. “As a Republican, I’m disturbed that that is deliberately being mischaracterized to undermine the election course of,” Ms. Barton mentioned in a video she posted to Twitter, which was considered greater than 1.2 million occasions.

Ms. Barton, 49, is one other graduate of Liberty College, the place she earned a grasp’s diploma after graduating from Nice Lakes College in Michigan. She posts Bible verses on-line and has mentioned that “God orders my steps.” She served for eight years because the deputy clerk within the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Township earlier than being appointed to the Rochester Hills submit and has earned respect from each Republicans and Democrats.

She was initially reluctant to provide Ms. McDaniel’s declare any validity by responding however determined she had no selection. “In relaying the reality, I used to be going to be opening myself as much as criticism and if I ever thought of operating for workplace once more, that will be impacted,” she mentioned. “However the actual value was in voter confidence. I advised my deputy that each one these items should be put apart and I’ve to talk the reality.”

Quickly she discovered herself the goal of profane and threatening emails and phone calls, and whereas she took consolation that she was protected as a result of her husband is a sheriff’s deputy, they nonetheless upgraded the safety system at house. “It’s simply devastating to see what the response has been to our career and the way we’ve got come, as a rustic, to assume that violence and threats is the reply,” she mentioned.