Trump threatens to withhold funding from Michigan & Nevada over mail-in vote applications for general election

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has threatened to withhold funding from Michigan and Nevada after both states have opted to use mail-in voting for the upcoming election.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced Tuesday that all registered voters in the state will be sent an application to vote by mail in November to avoid risking exposure to the coronavirus by heading to the polls.

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Trump made his disapproval of the decision clear on Wednesday when he asserted on Twitter that the decisions were "done illegally" and claimed the moves would lead to voter fraud.

"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," he said.

"I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!"

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The president continued his attacks and hit out at Nevada's decision to have mail-in votes for their primary election in June and also threatened to withhold funding from the state.

"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.," he tweeted.

"They can't! If they do, 'I think' I can hold up funds to the State. Sorry, but you must not cheat in elections."

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Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly criticized expanding balloting by mail, claiming that it leads to voter fraud.

Democrats have pushed back on these claims, arguing that there are few cases of actual voter fraud and claim that the GOP is trying to suppress voter turnout to help their chances of winning elections.

The legality of mail-in ballots is the basis of a lawsuit in Texas, in which a federal judge sided allowed the applications to be mailed to voters.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced his office is appealing the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Republican chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Monday that although she is still opposed to states mailing ballots to registered voters, sending applications for absentee ballots "is one mechanism of ensuring that that voter is who they are".

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