President Trump appeared to back away from his threat to withhold federal funding from Michigan during a meeting with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump blasted Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in a series of tweets, erroneously accusing her of sending absentee ballots to registered voters and threatening to withhold federal funding from the state over her mail-in voting initiative. Trump would later correct himself in another Wednesday tweet, clarifying that Michigan voters were receiving mail-in voting applications and not absentee ballots.
Much like White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany declining to go into details about the federal funding that would be withheld from Michigan during a Wednesday afternoon briefing, Trump wouldn’t specify the “very specific” funding he has for the state after claiming that he has spoken with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
“They’ll be finding out very soon if it’s necessary,” Trump said, referring to whether he plans to withhold funds from Michigan. “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.”
Trump then baselessly argued that mail-in ballots are “a very dangerous thing” due to “massive fraud.”
President Trump appears to walk back his threat from earlier today to withhold funds for Michigan over its expansion of mail-in voting, saying he doesn't think it will be "necessary" https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/qmt0q7LcMP
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 20, 2020
