Raffensperger: Trump request to ‘find’ votes was a threat

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) wrote in his new book that former President Trump was threatening him when he asked Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia.

Raffensperger wrote in his new book “Integrity Counts” that he felt Trump threatened him multiple times during their now infamous phone call in which the president asked the secretary of state to “find” nearly 12,000 ballots in January, The Associated Press reported.

“I felt then — and still believe today — that this was a threat,” Raffensperger wrote. “Others obviously thought so, too, because some of Trump’s more radical followers have responded as if it was their duty to carry out this threat.”

In the phone call he had with Raffensperger, Trump could be heard saying, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.”

In the same call, Raffensperger rejected Trump’s claim and said he would not acquiesce to the request.

In his book, the Georgia official wrote that Trump’s defeat in the state likely wounded his ego.

“You believe in your heart that you did a good job, and if you never lack self doubt, it must be doubly debilitating — and confusing. Instead of accepting defeat, you look for scapegoats, shift blame, or seek alternative theories,” Raffensperger wrote.

According to the AP, Raffensperger also shot back in his book at other Republicans who attacked him after he refused Trump’s request, writing that they were “destroying our future as a party.”

During the Georgia recount, Raffensperger and his wife received messages threatening their lives if the count did not result in Trump’s victory.

Raffensperger also took aim at Rep. Jody Hice (R), his Trump-endorsed opponent in the primary for Georgia secretary of state, the AP reported.

“Ironically, Hice accepted the results of his own race, which he won, but objected to the results of the presidential race,” the state secretary wrote. “Same voters. Same ballots. One, presumably, was honest. The other was ‘faulty and fraudulent.’ He’s a double-minded person. How can you hold two opposing views at one time?”

While Raffensperger wrote that U.S. elections are fair and secure, he also said in his book that he believes officials with more integrity needed to be elected.

“If we don’t have people of the highest character run for elective office, we will continue to fight disinformation, misinformation and outright deception, and the end result will be an erosion of public trust,” he wrote.