President Donald Trump is working overtime to shed doubt on the election results with a barrage of tweets accusing Michigan and other battleground states of allowing voter fraud.
This has placed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in the position of defending her state's vote-counting process, which she insists has been transparent.
"What this is really about is more of a political strategy or partisan effort to sow seeds of doubt amongst our voters about the integrity of our election's process," she told Cheddar. "But the bottom line is we've got 1,500 clerks all throughout the state, at the city, and township level who worked tirelessly for months to ensure every strict protocol that we've got in place under the law here in Michigan was met."
While the Trump campaign is demanding access to vote-counting sites in the state, poll watchers from both parties are already present. Shortly after Cheddar spoke with Benson, a Democrat, on Thursday afternoon a Michigan judge denied a suit over the issue brought against her by the Trump campaign
Benson noted that despite record turnout the state was able to tabulate results in less than 48 hours and that the process has been "methodical" and "secure."
"We saw record numbers of people voting in this election, record numbers of people voting absentee, and through that process, our clerks rose and met every challenge," she said.
The state's top election official sees the rhetoric coming from Trump as one of the biggest threats to the security of the voting process, but not one that took her by surprise.
"The bottom line is no one should be surprised that this is happening," Benson said. "Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No."
The state has asked residents to submit any evidence of misinformation concerning the election to misinformation@michigan.gov.
Going forward, Benson expressed pride in the clerks who pulled off this election but would like to see greater support from the legislature
"In terms of regrets, I wish our state legislature had done more to partner with us and our local clerks to provide more resources and support as we entered this really momentous, historic election," she said.
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ and Ayana Morris, co-director of the documentary 'Why Is We Americans?,' join Cheddar News to discuss the new documentary highlighting the impact of the Baraka family.
Former New York City mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani made his singing debut on a taping of Fox’s The Masked Singer. However, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, two judges on the competition show, reportedly left in protest when Giuliani was unmasked upon being eliminated.
All Hands celebrates Black History Month by highlighting achievements in inclusivity and paying homage to those who have fought for equal rights. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joins Cheddar News to discuss voter suppression; Damali Peterman, CEO of Breakthrough ADR, elaborates on the biggest barriers for Black professionals; Andre Perry, senior fellow of Brookings Institution, dives into student loans and the racial wealth divide; and lastly, BET CEO Scott Mills discusses the company's initiatives for 2022.
All month long Cheddar News is celebrating Black History Month.
In our nation’s capital, Black history is being made right now.
cheddar's own Arielle Hixon puts the spotlight on three lawmakers making that happen, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 43rd District) joined Cheddar News to talk about the current political climate in America, including efforts to roll back voting rights in multiple states in light of Black History Month. "Why do we have to deal with those who still believe that somehow this country only belongs to the whites of the country and that somehow they have to do everything that they can to undermine our voting and do voters suppression to keep us from being influential and at the table by which to solve problems?" she asked. Waters chided "two Democrats" who she said were stymying attempts to rectify the issue and also spoke on President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
