Amid outgoing President Donald Trump's weeks-long denial of the reality that President-elect Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election, Trump and his allies have unleashed numerous scattershot attempts to undermine the results.
In addition to lie-ridden tweets and a litany of litigation, the President and his team have urged election officials in a number of swing states to refuse certification of the results based on false claims of corruption and malpractice during the counting process.
A target of those efforts was the state of Michigan.
Earlier this month, Trump praised the two Republican members of Wayne County, MI's four-person Board of Canvassers for initially refusing to certify results.
After public outcry from constituents, the Wayne County board unanimously certified the results of the election only hours later.
On Monday, the state Board of Canvassers voted to certify the results, with one abstention, in a devastating blow to Trump's efforts to overturn the outcome.
But a Trump campaign legal advisor, Jenna Ellis, dismissed the decision in a statement insisting that certification of the results was merely "procedural," and not a loss for Donald Trump.
🚨NEW: Trump Legal Team Statement on State Certifications pic.twitter.com/JzNJeyYr8a
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) November 23, 2020
The statement reads:
"Certification by state officials is simply a procedural step. We are going to continue combatting election fraud around the country as we fight to count all the legal votes .Americans must be assured that the final results are fair and legitimate."
Twitter users mocked the continued denial of reality.
Her superpower, like the rest of the Trump team, is the inability to feel shame https://t.co/4mY7hd6zD0
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) November 23, 2020
This has an, "OJ is still looking for the real killer" vibe to it... https://t.co/HYkUs2BxQj
— Susanne Baremore (@SoooSusanne) November 23, 2020
Next step is begging for a participation trophy...SAD!!! https://t.co/rTJIXt6RXv
— NH Politics (@nhpol603) November 23, 2020
Some people just don't realize that the joke is played and it's time to move on. https://t.co/1yIjc12sV6
— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) November 23, 2020
I think I speak for most of America when I say, I feel reasonably assured the final results were fair and legitimate.
This is just sad, now. https://t.co/0j1qy1AEWd
— Kyle Tait (@TaitVoice) November 23, 2020
They jokingly predicted just how far the denial will go.
[January 20, 2021, Joe Biden takes the oath of office]
Jenna Ellis: “The presidential inauguration is simply a procedural step." https://t.co/pduRJSiYJk
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) November 23, 2020
January 20: "Joe Biden being sworn in as president is simply a procedural step. We are going to continue combatting election fraud and will be presenting evidence of Donald Trump's landslide win in court any day now." https://t.co/TCrQyFsc8b
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) November 23, 2020
on january 19 she'll be tweeting how loading the bags into the truck is simply a procedural step and they intend to continue the fight from some 14th green at mar-a-lago https://t.co/fHeZy1QeEg
— kilgore trout, four seasons appreciator (@KT_So_It_Goes) November 23, 2020
Dear Future Dan:
Please let me know if on January 20th @JennaEllisEsq releases a statement that starts with “The swearing in of Joe Biden on Inauguration Day is simply a procedural step..."
Thanks!
Past Dan https://t.co/sy20Q6D6TC
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) November 23, 2020
The campaign's reasons to hope for a court-sanctioned reversal of the results are just as abysmal: They've lost 35 out of 36 legal challenges in their efforts.
On Monday evening, Trump authorized General Services Administration head Emily Murphy to sign off on the paperwork to allocate resources for a Biden transition, though he still assured his supporters the fight for a second term wasn't over.
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