President Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold money to Michigan and Nevada, two critical battleground states, if they forge ahead with plans to expand voting-by-mail options amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election. This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!” the president said on Twitter.
Mr. Trump later criticized Nevada, which is sending all active registered voters an absentee ballot for the state’s June 9 primary.
“State of Nevada ‘thinks’ that they can send out illegal vote by mail ballots, creating a great Voter Fraud scenario for the State and the U.S. They can’t! If they do, ‘I think’ I can hold up funds to the State. Sorry, but you must not cheat in elections,” the president said.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced on Tuesday that all registered voters in the state will get an application to vote by mail in the August and November elections, citing public health risks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Hi! I also have a name, it’s Jocelyn Benson,” she replied to Mr. Trump on Wednesday. “And we sent applications, not ballots. Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia.”
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske is a Republican.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer late Tuesday declared a state of emergency for Midland County after several area dams breached, potentially displacing thousands of people in a major catastrophe.
Several hours after his Michigan threat, Mr. Trump said his team is closely monitoring the floods.
“Stay SAFE and listen to local officials,” he said. “Our brave First Responders are once again stepping up to serve their fellow citizens, THANK YOU!”
Mr. Trump is scheduled to visit Michigan on Thursday to tour a Ford plant in Ypsilanti, which is about 140 miles south of the dam breaches.
He also appeared to sneak in a dig at Ms. Whitmer’s coronavirus-related lockdown orders, which have fomented waves of protests in the state.
“We have sent our best Military & @FEMA Teams, already there,” he said. “Governor must now ‘set you free’ to help. Will be with you soon!”
Other states are expanding vote-by-mail options as well so people aren’t forced to go to the polls in person.
Mr. Trump has been wary of those efforts, saying voting by mail is prone to fraud and that Republicans would get sick at the very thought of doing something improper at the polls.
The president voted absentee by mail in Florida’s presidential primary earlier this year.
Michigan and Nevada are critical battleground states for the presidential election.
Ms. Whitmer and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada Democrat, have been mentioned as possible vice presidential picks for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden.
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, called the president’s threat “outrageous.”
“There is no evidence that mail-in voting advantages either party,” Mr. Hoyer tweeted. “Trump and Republicans should stop trying to make it harder for people to vote.”
• Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
