OP-ED: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson Calls Out Trump, Michigan Republicans for Continuing to Sow Doubt in Our Elections  

Today, Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson published an op-ed in MS NOW criticizing Donald Trump’s recent pardons, which she says send a “green light” to election deniers throughout the country and those running for higher office in 2026 to sow doubt in our safe, secure elections.

The decision did in fact send a dangerous signal because a week later, Michigan Republicans pushed for an illegal federal takeover of the state’s elections. 

As Secretary of State and as a candidate for Governor, Benson pledges to stand up to anyone – including the President – to protect the rights, votes, and voices of Michigan residents.

In case you missed it…

MS NOW: Trump’s pardons give a green light to election interference

There is a troubling message in the pardons that President Donald Trump issued last week to dozens of his allies who used lies, threats and intimidation tactics to block the accurate results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s clear, too, in the pardons he issued for those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol: This president believes that there is one justice system for those who do Trump’s bidding, and another for the rest of us. This double standard can be seen in the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Justice Department activities that effectively trample on the Constitution near daily. They signal a bright green light to anyone looking to disrupt, attack or otherwise undermine free and fair elections in the future.

In Michigan, several have already taken the bait. Over the past month two statewide Republican candidates – one seeking the nomination for governor and the other for U.S. Senate – have repeated and amplified the president’s lies about the 2020 election. Nearly two dozen state Republican lawmakers last week asked Trump’s Justice Department to take over the administration of our state’s, citing misinformation and conspiracy theories.

This is a dangerous path. I know because as Michigan’s chief election official I’ve personally experienced what happens when election lies and conspiracy theories run rampant: They turn into real, violent threats against the professional election administrators and other state and local officials who work every day to secure our democracy. 

One night in December 2020, two days after Rudy Giuliani “testified” at a sham state legislative committee hearing in Michigan and spread falsehoods about the security of our elections, armed protesters descended on my home. Inside, my then 4-year-old son and I were decorating for the holidays. As we sheltered in place for the better part of an hour while we waited for police to arrive, I was scared. But I was also determined to protect the voters of Michigan. And no one, no matter how powerful or threatening, was going to deter me from defending the Constitution and protecting the will of the people.   

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It’s important to see Trump’s pardons as more show than substance. Because even as he tries to protect himself and his buddies, the law – and justice – still applies to all. Presidential pardons will not protect anyone from facing state charges for election interference; state charges fall outside of the president’s purview. The individuals the president pardons can and will face consequences in Michigan and in other states if they try to interfere with our ability to hold safe and secure elections.

This is why state laws and state and local officials – from governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state to local election administrations – are so critical in this moment. At a time when the Trump administration is using every tool at their disposal to undermine fair and free elections, leaders unwilling to bend the knee to this president and his autocratic whims are democracy’s guardians. 

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In our democracy, the power of the people must always be greater than the people in power. The 2026 elections are less than a year away. They are a chance for all of us to remind this president that his powers are not limitless, that there are indeed still checks and balances in this country. They come from state officials with the moral courage to hold the line and from the voters who refuse to be silenced.