By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Sergio Arellano is calling on Attorney General Kris Mayes to reject fundraising support from actress and activist Jane Fonda, pointing to her controversial visit to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Fonda is scheduled to headline an Oct. 7 fundraiser for the Democratic incumbent.
Arellano, a U.S. Army combat veteran, issued the demand in a statement from the Arizona Republican Party. He urged Arizona veterans to press Mayes to disassociate herself from Fonda and apologize for accepting her support.
“As a U.S. Army combat veteran, I am calling on all of my fellow Arizona veterans to demand that Attorney General Kris Mayes rebuke Jane Fonda and refuse her fundraising support,” Arellano said.
The party’s statement identifies an invitation it says Mayes shared on X advertising Fonda as a special guest. The invitation names Dawna and Dan Calderone as hosts and places the event in North Central Phoenix.
A VIP reception is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by a general reception from 7 to 8 p.m. The advertised contribution levels are $250 for the general reception, $1,000 for VIP admission, $2,500 for co-hosts, and $5,500 for hosts. The invitation lists the highest level at $5,500, although the party’s accompanying release describes a $5,000 maximum.
Mayes’ campaign website also lists the Jane Fonda Climate PAC among the organizations endorsing her. Other listed supporters include the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters-aligned NRDC Action Fund, labor organizations, and abortion rights groups.
Arellano’s criticism centers on Fonda’s July 1972 visit to North Vietnam, where she was photographed seated at an anti-aircraft gun emplacement and participated in Radio Hanoi broadcasts.
“We have all seen images of Fonda in July 1972, when she mocked our nation and our warfighters as she posed for photographs seated on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun,” Arellano said. “This was the same type of weapon used against American aircraft.”
“As our American heroes suffered in Vietnamese prison camps, Fonda also recorded multiple broadcasts on Radio Hanoi that North Vietnam aired as propaganda aimed at our U.S. pilots,” he continued.
Arellano argued that those actions harmed American servicemembers and said Fonda had not disavowed the trip or broadcasts.
“Those actions gave aid and comfort to the enemy while Americans were still fighting and dying,” he said.
Fonda has publicly apologized for the anti-aircraft gun photograph. In an account on her website in 2011, she described allowing the photograph as something she would regret for the rest of her life and acknowledged the pain it caused servicemembers and their families. The account also defended her antiwar activism and explained her reasons for traveling to North Vietnam.
Her position on the broader trip and broadcasts was addressed in a CBS announcement of her 2005 interview with “60 Minutes.” CBS reported that she regarded the gun site appearance as a major lapse in judgment while continuing to defend visiting Hanoi and speaking on its radio service.
According to CBS, Fonda appeared on Radio Hanoi at least 10 times, addressing American pilots and criticizing the bombing of North Vietnam. She maintained that she had sought to help end the war and denied asking pilots to disobey orders.
Arellano’s statement calls for Mayes to refuse Fonda’s fundraising support but does not identify a specific contribution from the actress or an amount already raised through the upcoming event.
“Mayes should publicly disassociate herself from Fonda and apologize to all veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, for her decision to accept that support,” Arellano said. “If you served, make your voice heard. We have not forgotten.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
