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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Louise Hall

My Pillow Guy lays out plan to overturn election for Trump

Photograph: Getty Images

The Donald Trump-supporting chief executive of My Pillow has brazenly laid out a plan he believes will help the defeated US president overturn the US election.

In a rambling interview with Fox News on Saturday, Mike Lindell — often referred as the My Pillow Guy — suggested how Mr Trump’s supporters should work to pressure the electoral college to undermine the democratic election result in Georgia

He also claimed people “will be going to prison” over Joe Biden’s victory, despite the president being unable to present any evidence to support his groundless claims of electoral fraud.

“How do you not put people in prison? They will be going to prison,” the pillow manufacturing firm boss said at Trump rally in Valdosta, Georgia on Saturday, adding: “In the meantime, 14 December is so important.”  

The electoral college meets on 14 December to cast its vote for president and any challenge to the results must be resolved by 8 December.

“Governor Kemp, Brian Kemp, has to give an order… to have a Congress meeting whatever they do… their legislative… and pull Georgia down and don’t give it to Biden,” Mr Lindell said.

The comments come after Georgia’s Republican governor told lawmakers that he won't call a special session to overturn the state's election results and appoint electors that will vote for Mr Trump.

“Doesn’t matter who they give it to, don't give it to Biden, just find out all your corruption,” the My Pillow boss said.

Mr Lindell went on to suggest that the presidential election could be overturned via the electoral college by replacing electors in certain swing states so that Mr Biden falls short of the electoral votes needed to secure the presidency.

“Because if you pull down Georgia, Pennsylvania, and crooked Nevada, now nobody has 270 and then it goes to the 14 December vote and Donald Trump wins the election,” he said.

Hours before Mr Trump held a rally in Valdosta the president asked Mr Kemp to order the legislative session to overturn the results and the governor refused.

State Republican leaders have rejected the approach that Republican state legislatures could appoint a rival set of electors pledged to Mr Trump, and it would be a highly implausible strategy.

A number of legislatures would need to take the extreme step of ignoring the will of the popular vote in an unprecedented challenge to the democratic process in the US.

Republican election officials in Georgia have affirmed the election was conducted and counted fairly. No credible claims of fraud or systemic errors have been made.

Despite this, the president continues to deny Mr Biden's victory and is maintaining his baseless legal strategies aimed at overturning the results before they are finalised later this month.

On Friday, California certified its presidential election and officially handed Mr Biden the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

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