Georgia Call: Trump Pressured Secretary of State to 'Find' Votes to Overturn Election
Last updated
Trump spent approximately an hour on the call with Raffensperger, his deputy, and Trump's attorneys, pressing Raffensperger to reverse Georgia's certified presidential election results. He made multiple false claims about fraud that Raffensperger repeatedly corrected in real time. Trump told Raffensperger 'there's nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you've recalculated' and that finding 11,780 votes would put Trump ahead in Georgia. Raffensperger refused. The call recording was published; Trump's Georgia indictment in August 2023 cited it as a central piece of evidence.
Overview
The phone call is approximately an hour long. There is a recording. Trump asks Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes — one more than Biden's margin. He makes threats. Raffensperger says no. This happened on January 2, 2021, 18 days before the end of Trump's first term.
The Exchange
The call is documented in full. Trump made claims about fraud — specific numbers of invalid votes, dead voters, ballot stuffing. Raffensperger and his team corrected each claim in real time. Trump continued making the same claims after they were corrected.
Trump told Raffensperger there was nothing wrong with saying he had "recalculated." Raffensperger said there was nothing to recalculate.
Trump told Raffensperger he was taking a "big risk." He suggested Raffensperger and his attorney could face criminal liability. Raffensperger still refused.
Why the Recording Matters
Trump, the next morning, tweeted that Raffensperger had refused to answer his questions and been unwilling to discuss fraud. This was false — the entire call had been a discussion of fraud claims that Raffensperger had answered and corrected.
Raffensperger's office published the recording. It demonstrated, in Trump's own words on audio, that his tweet was false and that the call's content was what Raffensperger described.
The Indictment
Fulton County DA Fani Willis used the call as central evidence in a RICO indictment that charged Trump and 18 co-conspirators with participating in a criminal enterprise to overturn Georgia's election. The call demonstrated both the goal (finding specific votes) and the method (pressure, threats, false claims).
Several co-defendants pleaded guilty. Trump's case remains in pretrial proceedings.
Timeline
Sequence of events
January 2, 2021
Trump calls Raffensperger — find 11,780 votes
Trump calls Raffensperger and over approximately one hour asks him to find votes, make false fraud claims, and threatens him with criminal liability for refusing. Raffensperger refuses. The call is recorded.
January 3, 2021
Trump tweets mischaracterizing the call; Raffensperger publishes recording
Trump tweets that Raffensperger refused to discuss fraud and that he was 'unwilling' to answer questions. Raffensperger's office responds by publishing the recording and transcript, demonstrating Trump's characterization was false.
August 14, 2023
Grand jury indicts Trump and 18 others on RICO charges
Fulton County DA Fani Willis secures a 41-count indictment against Trump and 18 others for their efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. Trump faces 13 counts including racketeering under Georgia RICO statute.
August 15, 2024
Case delayed by immunity and disqualification appeals
The case remains on hold as appellate courts consider: (1) whether Trump's conduct is covered by presidential immunity after the Supreme Court's July 2024 ruling, and (2) whether DA Fani Willis should be disqualified following revelations about her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Sources
- ↑ Full Transcript: Trump's Jan. 2 Phone Call With Georgia Secretary of State — The New York Times
- ↑ Read the full transcript of Trump's phone call with Georgia Secretary of State — The Washington Post
- ↑ Trump indicted in Georgia over 2020 election interference — The Associated Press
- ↑ State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump et al. — Indictment — Fulton County Superior Court
Verification