Trump Lost Michigan

The editors of the Wall Street Journal remark on the Michigan state senate’s investigation of the 2020 election:

While the report identifies “clear weaknesses in our elections system that require legislative remedy,” it is unsparing about misinformation and innuendo. As Democrats regained power after the 2016 election, Mr. McBroom writes, “they were quick to utilize all of it to spend two years chasing every conspiracy and specious allegation.” He adds: “I pray my own party will not repeat this mistake for the next four years.”

The committee investigated 200 alleged dead voters. Only two problems were found. One was “a clerical error” involving a father and son with the same name. The other was an absentee ballot submitted by a 92-year-old, who then died four days before the election. That bad ballot should not have slipped through, though the report says 3,500 similar votes were caught.

Detroit’s counting center received deliveries of ballots at 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., but the inquiry found no evidence of fraud. A purportedly suspicious picture “was a photo of a WXYZ-TV photographer hauling his equipment.” Also, look at the numbers: Voter turnout in Wayne County (Detroit) was up only 11.4% last year, compared with 15.4% in the rest of Michigan, which hardly sounds like a dump of fake ballots. President Trump received a higher share of Wayne County’s vote in 2020 than in 2016.

The 35 page report can be found here if you care to read it. The bottom line is that Joe Biden did in fact carry Michigan. I don’t know what that portends for Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona but I think that Trump’s supporters should be prepared that Trump really did lose the 2020 election. Additionally, Mr. Trump’s behavior following the election is unlikely to gain votes for him should he be the Republican Party’s standardbearer in 2024. He will also be over 80 years old then—too old for him to be president. It’s over.

Unlike many Democrats I don’t that the conclusion to draw from all this sturm und drang is not how vile Republicans are but that our elections need to be more rigorous and transparent. Like Caesar’s wife they should be beyond reproach.