Far-Right House Leader Calls on North Carolina to Preemptively Give Donald Trump Its Electoral Votes

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty; Emily Elconin/Getty

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty; Emily Elconin/Getty

At the Talbot County Lincoln Reagan Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 24, the chair of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, 67, asserted that it “makes a lot of sense” for North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature to directly decide the winner, given the potential barriers to voting that some areas are facing amid theHurricane Helenerecovery efforts.

“You statistically can go and say, ‘Look, you got disenfranchised in 25 counties. You know what that vote probably would have been,’ " the congressman said in conversation with MAGA operative Ivan Raiklin, who has endorsed a similar plan to ensure a Trump victory in North Carolina.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

While Rep. Harris acknowledged that it would appear to be “just a power play” if other states started allocating Electoral College votes before ballots had been counted, he argued that in North Carolina, “it’s legitimate.”

“There are a lot of people that aren’t going to get to vote and it may make the difference in that state,” he said.

Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus.Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Raiklin, 46, posted his exchange with Harris on Thursday night onX, writing, “Breaking! @freedomcaucus chairman @RepAndyHarrisMD at Talbot County Lincoln Reagan Dinner agrees that NC Speaker of the House @NCHouseSpeaker and the State Legislature should convene a joint session to allocate the electors on Nov 5 directly to ensure the franchise of 25 counties is restored.”

Raiklin was the man whoshared a two-page memoon X (then called Twitter) in December 2020 called “Operation Pence Card,” which detailed a plan to have Vice PresidentMike Pencereject the certification of the 2020 election results. Trump retweeted the memo, and after the idea grew in popularity, Pence ultimately refused to participate.

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North Carolinians will play a key role in deciding the next president. The state is one of seven battlegrounds identified in the 2024 election, carrying a large prize of 16 Electoral College votes for the winner. Polls suggest thatKamala Harrishas a chance at flipping the state blue, with Trump only an inch ahead in most surveys.

source: people.com