Donald Trump pressured government officials to overturn election results, emails reveal

In weeks following the 2020 Presidential elections in the United States, the then President Donald Trump repeatedly pressurised Justice Department officials to pursue baseless allegations of voter fraud and election-related conspiracy theories, <>newly-released emails have revealed. Trump, who lost to Joe Biden by massive numbers, was ardent on his claim of voter fraud in the November polls and filed several lawsuits across states alleging the same. Now, a series of emails acquired by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform revealed that Trump also instructed the officials to file a legal brief at the US Supreme court to reject ballots in states he lost.

'Voter fraud and Cover up' 

One such state was Michigan where the Republican leader managed to secure 47.8 per cent of the votes as compared to Biden’s 50.6 per cent. According to the recently disclosed emails, Trump’s staff had contacted the then Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, on December 14 when states had convened to certify electoral college results, alleging a “cover-up” or voter fraud in the state. The same messages were sent to federal prosecutors across Michigan.

Later, on December 29, a White House assistant emailed Justice Department officials with a draft of a legal brief to be filed at the US Supreme Court to “declare that the Electoral College votes cast” in six states that Trump lost “cannot be counted”. The list of six states encompassed Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania Georgia Nevada and Wisconsin. Additionally, the email also stated requested the Supreme Court to hold special elections in the aforementioned states.  

Joe Biden, who ultimately emerged as the winner in the Presidential Pols, also the record for most votes received and has amassed over 70 million. The record was held by former US President Barack Obama, who in the 2008 election received nearly 69,498,516 votes when he beat late Republican Senator John McCain. According to The New York Times, the Democratic nominee broke the record at 1:30 pm EST on November 4. While Trump refused to concede power, he finally gave up in late January and Joe Biden swore in as America's 46th President on January 20.  

Image: AP