Trump hails Arizona Senate for audit at Phoenix rally, slams governor

Former President Trump on Saturday hailed the Arizona state Senate for its ongoing audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County during a rally in Phoenix while taking shots at Gov. Doug Ducey (R).

Speaking to a crowd of supporters at the event, dubbed the “Rally for Election Integrity,” Trump began by thanking the “brave and unyielding conservative warriors in the Arizona state Senate” for forging ahead with the audit.

The former president recognized several GOP state senators, particularly thanking Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R), who has overseen the effort that began in December. 

Trump then acknowledged several GOP senators who were in the crowd. He praised Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward as a “real fighter” before taking his first jab at Ducey.

“Republican Party chairwoman — somebody that has tremendous courage,” Trump said of Ward.

“She’s really a fighter, and she fights your governor, who doesn’t do a damn thing,” Trump said, referring to Ducey. 

Trump then attacked Ducey for not being “very popular” at rallies.

“I introduce him, and I wouldn’t get much of an applause … and I kept saying, you know, this guy’s not very popular. But now, you know what? He’s not popular with me either,” Trump said.

The ongoing audit comes amid Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election was riddled with fraud.

President Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the Grand Canyon State since 1996, besting Trump by less than a percentage point. 

The president also beat Trump in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous region, by 2 percentage points in November. 

Ducey first came under fire from Trump after certifying Biden’s 2020 election victory in the state. In April, Trump chided Ducey for what he saw as insufficient support for the audit.

On Saturday, Trump maintained his baseless claims of voter fraud, calling it the “greatest crime.” He said that he hoped Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) would take the audit’s “findings” and “do what everyone knows has to be done.”

“If he doesn’t do that, it would be so sad,” Trump said of Brnovich, who is running for Senate in 2022. “And your governor, Doug Ducey, he will be of no help to you.”