Trump praises Georgia election board members as 'pit bulls' at Atlanta rally

At an August 3, 2024 rally in Atlanta, Trump praised three Republican members of the Georgia State Election Board -- Rick Jeffares, Janice Johnston, and Janelle King -- as "pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory," drawing loud applause from the crowd. Three days later the trio joined a fourth Republican to pass rules giving county officials more discretion in the vote-certification process, over the objection of the board's lone Democrat. Democratic election attorney Marc Elias said the remarks showed Trump was "trying to work the refs" who would decide whether to certify November's results, warning of "mass refusals to certify the election." Election-law scholars and Georgia's own Republican secretary of state have said certification has traditionally been a ministerial duty rather than a discretionary one.

“Three pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory.” Quote verified against source