Late Friday afternoon, Donald Trump filed suit to stop the recount in Michigan, where the president-elect bested Hillary Clinton by less than 11,000 votes on election night.
The recount was triggered by Green Party candidate Jill Stein—who filed in the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania—and joined by the Clinton campaign, which said last week it would support Stein’s petition, despite not finding any irregularities on its own.
But attorneys for Trump, who is listed on the suit as a respondent along with Donald J. Trump For President, Inc., say the recount is invalid because it wouldn’t make a difference for Stein’s candidacy.
“As the fourth-place finisher, Dr. Jill Stein is not “aggrieved” by any alleged fraud or mistake, and is therefore not entitled to a recount,” his attorneys write in the motion, arguing that she cannot be aggrieved under its legal definition because she would still lose even if a recount changed the final vote tallies.
As a backup argument, Trump also asserts that, “A recount cannot be completed in time for Michigan to have its Electoral College votes counted,” and alleges that the petition is invalid “because it is not properly signed and sworn to by the candidate.”
The motion also cites as evidence of a fair election a tweet sent by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, as sure a sign as any we’ve entered a new world with this election.
ABC News reports Trump and his supporters have also filed suit in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where a recount is currently underway. A judge in Wisconsin rejected the motion for an immediate halt to the recount, but is reportedly allowing the lawsuit to proceed.