Freedom Caucus leader supports extreme plan for North Carolina to allocate its electoral votes to Trump
Rep. Andy Harris stated that the destruction resulting from Hurricane Helene in pro-Trump counties would warrant the extraordinary maneuver.
TroibNews 
The chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus has suggested that North Carolina's Legislature might consider allocating the state's presidential electors to Donald Trump even before the votes are tallied in this key state.
Rep. Andy Harris stated on Thursday that such a measure from North Carolina’s Republican-controlled Legislature “makes a lot of sense,” especially considering the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the western part of the state, where Trump is expected to receive significant support.
Harris argued that the challenges to voting in the hurricane-impacted region could justify a preemptive decision by the Legislature to declare Trump the winner of the state’s 16 electoral votes. He made these remarks at a Republican Party dinner in Maryland’s Talbot County, noting, “You statistically can go and say, ‘Look, you got disenfranchised in 25 counties. You know what that vote probably would have been.’” He added, “Which would be — if I were in the Legislature — enough to go, ‘Yeah, we have to convene the Legislature. We can’t disenfranchise the voters.’”
His comments followed a keynote address by Ivan Raiklin, a pro-Trump activist who advocates for state legislatures to guarantee Trump’s reelection if they perceive the 2024 election as compromised. Raiklin shared a full video of his speech and a clip of their discussion on X.
Raiklin suggested that not only North Carolina but also Republican-led legislatures in New Hampshire, Arizona, Nebraska, Georgia, and Wisconsin could perform similar actions on Election Day by awarding their electors to Trump. In response, Harris questioned how such a plan could be justified in other states that haven't experienced storm damage.
“It looks like just a power play,” Harris remarked. “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.”
When asked for further clarification, Harris reiterated through his campaign: “As I’ve repeatedly said, every legal vote should be counted. I would hope everyone could agree that legal American voters whose lives were devastated by the recent storms should not be disenfranchised in the upcoming voting process.”
State legislatures hold the authority under the Constitution to determine the allocation of their Electoral College votes, though all 50 states typically assign electors based on the citizens' popular vote.
North Carolina election officials are actively addressing the voting challenges faced by residents in the western counties. They have introduced new early voting sites and expanded access for displaced voters to obtain absentee ballots from outside their home county. The Trump campaign has endorsed initiatives aimed at facilitating voting under the circumstances presented by the hurricane.
Rep. Patrick McHenry reported to reporters on Friday that he was not aware of any plans for the state Legislature to follow through on the suggestions made by Raiklin and Harris. He responded to Harris’ remarks by stating, “It makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome. And that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina, bless his heart.”
McHenry emphasized the extensive efforts being made to ensure all voters in the storm-affected areas have the opportunity to participate, expressing confidence in the integrity of the electoral process: “I'm confident we'll have a safe and fair election in North Carolina, and then everyone that wishes to vote will have the opportunity.”
The leaders of the North Carolina Senate and House, state Sen. Phil Berger and state Rep. Tim Moore, both Republicans, did not provide comments, nor did the Trump campaign.
Democrats quickly responded to Harris’ statements. Vice President Kamala Harris commented on the remarks, stating, “America deserves to have leaders who respect the importance of one of the pillars and foundations of our democracy, which is free and fair elections, and that they are not manipulated by elected leaders for the sake of their own political future or their own political strategy for how they themselves want to succeed.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, asserted that the state’s “electoral votes will reflect only what the people say at the ballot box.” He received support from Democratic state legislators and even former GOP Governor Pat McCrory, who warned that pursuing the path suggested by Rep. Harris would be “a grave mistake.”
U.S. House Democrats also reacted strongly to their Republican colleague’s remarks. Rep. Joe Morelle, the senior Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which oversees election policies, stated, “Extreme Republican leaders are openly advocating that North Carolina’s electoral votes be given to Donald Trump without an election. For the first time in North Carolina’s history, voters could be denied their right to choose the president. This blood-chilling scheme, suggested by the chair of the so-called House Freedom Caucus, is anti-American.”
Raiklin has drawn attention from the House Jan. 6 select committee and special counsel Jack Smith due to his involvement in a 2020 tweet termed “Operation Pence Card,” where he proposed a tactical move for then-Vice President Mike Pence to help Trump regain the presidency. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing, Raiklin is a regular presence at Republican events and hearings in D.C.
Jordain Carney, Elena Schneider, and Liz Crampton contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
Rep. Andy Harris stated on Thursday that such a measure from North Carolina’s Republican-controlled Legislature “makes a lot of sense,” especially considering the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the western part of the state, where Trump is expected to receive significant support.
Harris argued that the challenges to voting in the hurricane-impacted region could justify a preemptive decision by the Legislature to declare Trump the winner of the state’s 16 electoral votes. He made these remarks at a Republican Party dinner in Maryland’s Talbot County, noting, “You statistically can go and say, ‘Look, you got disenfranchised in 25 counties. You know what that vote probably would have been.’” He added, “Which would be — if I were in the Legislature — enough to go, ‘Yeah, we have to convene the Legislature. We can’t disenfranchise the voters.’”
His comments followed a keynote address by Ivan Raiklin, a pro-Trump activist who advocates for state legislatures to guarantee Trump’s reelection if they perceive the 2024 election as compromised. Raiklin shared a full video of his speech and a clip of their discussion on X.
Raiklin suggested that not only North Carolina but also Republican-led legislatures in New Hampshire, Arizona, Nebraska, Georgia, and Wisconsin could perform similar actions on Election Day by awarding their electors to Trump. In response, Harris questioned how such a plan could be justified in other states that haven't experienced storm damage.
“It looks like just a power play,” Harris remarked. “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.”
When asked for further clarification, Harris reiterated through his campaign: “As I’ve repeatedly said, every legal vote should be counted. I would hope everyone could agree that legal American voters whose lives were devastated by the recent storms should not be disenfranchised in the upcoming voting process.”
State legislatures hold the authority under the Constitution to determine the allocation of their Electoral College votes, though all 50 states typically assign electors based on the citizens' popular vote.
North Carolina election officials are actively addressing the voting challenges faced by residents in the western counties. They have introduced new early voting sites and expanded access for displaced voters to obtain absentee ballots from outside their home county. The Trump campaign has endorsed initiatives aimed at facilitating voting under the circumstances presented by the hurricane.
Rep. Patrick McHenry reported to reporters on Friday that he was not aware of any plans for the state Legislature to follow through on the suggestions made by Raiklin and Harris. He responded to Harris’ remarks by stating, “It makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome. And that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina, bless his heart.”
McHenry emphasized the extensive efforts being made to ensure all voters in the storm-affected areas have the opportunity to participate, expressing confidence in the integrity of the electoral process: “I'm confident we'll have a safe and fair election in North Carolina, and then everyone that wishes to vote will have the opportunity.”
The leaders of the North Carolina Senate and House, state Sen. Phil Berger and state Rep. Tim Moore, both Republicans, did not provide comments, nor did the Trump campaign.
Democrats quickly responded to Harris’ statements. Vice President Kamala Harris commented on the remarks, stating, “America deserves to have leaders who respect the importance of one of the pillars and foundations of our democracy, which is free and fair elections, and that they are not manipulated by elected leaders for the sake of their own political future or their own political strategy for how they themselves want to succeed.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, asserted that the state’s “electoral votes will reflect only what the people say at the ballot box.” He received support from Democratic state legislators and even former GOP Governor Pat McCrory, who warned that pursuing the path suggested by Rep. Harris would be “a grave mistake.”
U.S. House Democrats also reacted strongly to their Republican colleague’s remarks. Rep. Joe Morelle, the senior Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which oversees election policies, stated, “Extreme Republican leaders are openly advocating that North Carolina’s electoral votes be given to Donald Trump without an election. For the first time in North Carolina’s history, voters could be denied their right to choose the president. This blood-chilling scheme, suggested by the chair of the so-called House Freedom Caucus, is anti-American.”
Raiklin has drawn attention from the House Jan. 6 select committee and special counsel Jack Smith due to his involvement in a 2020 tweet termed “Operation Pence Card,” where he proposed a tactical move for then-Vice President Mike Pence to help Trump regain the presidency. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing, Raiklin is a regular presence at Republican events and hearings in D.C.
Jordain Carney, Elena Schneider, and Liz Crampton contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
