WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump promised to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, Republicans activated a massive network of attorneys in battleground states crucial to the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, hoping to thwart the counting of thousands of early and absentee ballots.
Republican National Committee and Trump campaign officials told McClatchy that the scenario unfolding with a handful of Rust Belt and Southwestern states deciding the presidency was exactly what they had been preparing for over the course of a year. One source described it as "hand-to-hand combat" in legal battles over ballots that could decide the race.
"We have been planning for any post-election litigation and recounts for well over a year and are extraordinarily well-positioned," Mandi Merritt, national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, told McClatchy early Wednesday morning. "With the help of our national network of attorneys and multiple firms retained across Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and other states, the RNC will continue to litigate as necessary should Democrats attempt to sue their way to victory."
