Trump Calls for Special Congressional Session... Georgia Governor Rejects Request

Phone Call Just Before Georgia Senate Election Campaign... "Also Requesting Absentee Ballot Signature Thanks"

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] On the 5th (local time), President Donald Trump asked Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to overturn the election results.

Major foreign media outlets reported, citing sources, that President Trump called Governor Kemp that morning, pressuring him to overturn the election results and request a special session of the state legislature to appoint electors who would support him.

President Trump also asked Governor Kemp to demand an audit of absentee ballot signatures. However, political media outlet The Hill reported that Governor Kemp does not have the authority to demand such an audit.

The call took place a few hours before President Trump headed to Georgia in the afternoon for a campaign rally ahead of the January 5th runoff election for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat next year.

Sources said Governor Kemp rejected President Trump's request.

Georgia, a traditionally Republican stronghold, certified Joe Biden's victory last month after a manual recount. Governor Kemp is a member of the Republican Party.

Kemp's spokesperson Cody Hall confirmed the phone call between the two.

Governor Kemp also mentioned the conversation with President Trump on Twitter, explaining that he told Trump he had already publicly supported a signature audit.

In relation to this, President Trump tweeted on the same day, "If Governor Kemp or the Secretary of State allows a simple signature verification, I will easily and quickly win in Georgia," adding, "There will be massive discrepancies."

He further stated, "Why do these two Republicans (the governor and the secretary of state) say 'no'? If we win in Georgia, everything else falls into place."

Earlier, on the 30th of last month, President Trump tweeted, "Why doesn't Governor Kemp use the emergency powers he easily has to control the stubborn Secretary of State?" Kemp's office dismissed this, saying, "Georgia law prohibits the governor from interfering in elections."

President Trump and his aides have repeatedly claimed that widespread voter fraud and issues with ballot signatures are the reasons for their loss in the election.

However, the federal appeals court in the state dismissed Trump's lawsuits aimed at blocking Biden's victory on the same day, The Hill reported.

The Hill evaluated, "This ruling follows a series of legal defeats for President Trump this week in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin."

Meanwhile, The Hill reported that some Republicans are concerned that President Trump's attacks on the election results could negatively affect the Georgia Senate runoff election.

The Democratic Party needs to win both Georgia Senate runoff seats to create a 50-50 tie in the Senate. In the event of a tie in Senate votes, the Vice President holds the casting vote.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.