External national politics were in play here in red-state-turning-blue on Friday
Trump and Pence squared off in Arizona the day after the congressional committee investigating the attempted coup on January 6 said that the then president’s refusal to call off the violent mob for over three hours amounted to a dereliction of duty. The duel signals a proxy war for the future of the Republican party, and follows revelations that Trump approved – or was at least nonchalant about – the mob chanting “hang Mike Pence”.
The duelling appearances underlines the importance of Arizona on the national stage, with the 2 August primaries likely to serve as a litmus test for Trump’s endorsement prowess ahead of the midterms, where the Republicans hope to win key state races and regain control of the Senate and House.
How much it means is the big question.
In Arizona’s gubernatorial race, candidate Kari Lake’s consistent and combative false claims about election fraud were rewarded with an endorsement from Trump back in January, which helped the former local Fox news anchor and Barack Obama supporter surge ahead in the race for the Republican nomination.
But Trump’s visit on Friday also took place as his former wingman Mike Pence spoke at two campaign events for Karrin Taylor Robson, Lake’s main rival in the key battleground state, who has stopped short of calling the election corrupt.
Trump and Pence squared off in Arizona the day after the congressional committee investigating the attempted coup on January 6 said that the then president’s refusal to call off the violent mob for over three hours amounted to a dereliction of duty. The duel signals a proxy war for the future of the Republican party, and follows revelations that Trump approved – or was at least nonchalant about – the mob chanting “hang Mike Pence”.
Trump and Pence duel in Arizona in fight for Republican future
Former president and his one-time wingman appear at rival events – and it’s all to play for as the US midterms approach
Sat 23 Jul 2022 09.04 EDT“Trump continues to have a tight hold over the Republican party in the state, but we’ll see whether the January 6 hearings
have made enough of them decide that they want something less
bombastic,” said Julie Erfle, a Phoenix-based communications consultant
and political commentator.
The Trump-Lake event
on Friday evening took place about 90 miles north of Phoenix in the
Prescott valley, one of the reddest parts of the state, with deep seated
undercurrents of racism, including the presence of white supremacy groups such as the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers.
Friday
was the hottest day of the year so far, and several people passed out
and needed medical attention. Once inside, the mood was festive as
exhausted supporters refueled on popcorn, cheesy nachos and small
bottles of water that cost $4.50.
It was very
much the Trump show, with appearances by several far-right conspiracy
theorists, including the MyPillow boss Mike Lindell, former sheriff
Joseph Arpaio, Trump’s attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh, and Mark
Finchem, a member of the militia group the Oath Keepers running for
secretary of state. All of Trump’s endorsements have repeated the false
claims about the stolen 2020 election.
Trump
came on stage to rapturous applause, and repeated his usual baseless
complaints about rampant election fraud by the so-called radical left.
But the crowd seemed to hang on to every word.
arlier in the day, Pence appeared at Taylor’s
relatively small but spirited campaign event in Peoria, a Phoenix
suburb, alongside the outgoing Republican governor Doug Ducey. Taylor, a
pro-gun, anti-choice, anti-immigration developer, is catching up fast
in the polls after spending least $13.5m of her own wealth on the race.
It’s not the first time Pence has pitted himself against his former boss. In May, he backed Georgia governor Brian Kemp,
who like Ducey has been repeatedly attacked by Trump for his refusal to
overturn the 2020 results in his state. On that occasion, Kemp crushed
Trump’s candidate David Perdue by more than 50 points.
It’s
unclear whether Pence, who has been campaigning for candidates
nationwide, plans to launch a 2024 presidential bid but as polls stand
now, only Ron DeSantis, the hardline Florida governor, looks capable of
challenging Trump.Next week, the former allies will take the fight to Washington with
speeches about the post-2024 Republican agenda at rival conservative
think tanks on Tuesday. It will be Trump’s first public appearance in
the capitol since he left the White House on Biden’s inauguration day on
20 January 2021.
“Nationally,
this signals what we’re going to see in the Republican presidential
primary for 2024 – a contest between the Trump and Pence factions of the
party,” said Erfle.
“The two sides are not all
that different on misogyny, racism and far-right nationalism. It’s more
about choosing a cult of personality that revolves around Trump or
continuing democracy in some form.”
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Last modified on Sat 23 Jul 2022 10.24 EDT“Nationally, this signals what we’re going to see in the Republican presidential primary for 2024 – a contest between the Trump and Pence factions of the party,” said Erfle.
“The two sides are not all that different on misogyny, racism and far-right nationalism. It’s more about choosing a cult of personality that revolves around Trump or continuing democracy in some form.”
… we have a small favour to ask. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing 200 years ago, turning to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. More than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, now power us financially – keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.
Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful.
And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it.
Every contribution, however big or small, powers our journalism and sustains our future. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.
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