In an exclusive poll for AZ Free News, nearly 4.5 percent more of Arizona voters revealed that they prefer former President Donald Trump over current President Joe Biden. The poll also showed that Arizona voters have a low favorability of Gov. Katie Hobbs.
When asked who they would vote for should Trump and Biden serve as the 2024 presidential candidates, 39.5 percent picked Trump and 35.2 percent picked Biden. 19 percent said they would pick a third party candidate, and five percent were undecided.
George Khalaf, president of Data Orbital who conducted the poll, told AZ Free News that the polling serves as a troublesome portent for Democratic candidates in 2024.
“Arizona Democrats should be very concerned that we enter 2024 with Governor Hobbs and President Biden both having favorability ratings that are under 40 percent,” said Khalaf. “Former President Trump’s ballot test advantage of nearly 4.5 percent shows a strong early position for Republicans in Arizona. Both of these data points are in line with broader numbers coming out nationally from other swing states.”
When asked about Hobbs, only 38 percent of voters found her favorable. The disapproval rating comes close to other recent polling published this month. Hobbs was one of seven governors with an approval rating below 50 percent. The Morning Consult reported the governor had a 48 percent approval and 40 percent disapproval rating.
The favorability rating marks an improvement from over the summer, when Hobbs dipped to a 40 percent approval rating via Morning Consult: second to last for least-liked governor.
23 percent found Hobbs to be strongly favorable, and 15 percent found her to be somewhat favorable. 27 percent found her to be strongly unfavorable, and 11 percent found her to be somewhat unfavorable. 16 percent were neutral or had no opinion on Hobbs. Two percent were undecided or refused to answer.
In terms of general favorability, apart from serving as the 2024 candidate, 42 percent of voters found Trump favorable, with 29 percent finding him strongly favorable and 13 percent finding him somewhat favorable. About four percent were neutral or had no opinion, and about one percent were undecided or refused to answer.
Comparatively, only 36 percent of respondents found Biden favorable, with 20 percent finding him strongly favorable and 16 percent finding him somewhat favorable. Six percent were neutral or had no opinion of Biden. About two percent were undecided on the issue or refused to answer.
Over 52 percent of respondents were females, while over 47 percent were males.
38 percent of respondents were Republicans, 32 percent were Democrats, 27 percent were independents or unidentified, and two percent were “other.”
When asked to identify themselves outside party lines and along ideological descriptors, 37 percent identified as conservative, 38 percent identified as moderate, 20 percent identified as progressive, and about three percent were undecided.
Voter age groups were nearly split evenly, with the exception of the elderly crowd. Only six percent of polled voters were 18 to 24, 12 percent were 25 to 34, 14 percent were 35 to 44, 15 percent were 45 to 54, 18 percent were 55 to 64, and 34 percent were 65 and older.
71 percent of respondents were white, 19 percent were Hispanic, four percent were African American, three percent were Asian or Pacific Islander, and four percent identified as “other.”
Most respondents had some college but no degree: nearly 42 percent. Over 24 percent had a bachelor’s degree, 15 percent had a graduate degree or higher, 15 percent had a high school degree or equivalent, and over two percent had less than a high school diploma.
Most of the respondents had better turnout for the general elections compared to the primary elections. Only 18 percent voted in all four of the last four primary elections, but nearly 50 percent voted in all four of the last four general elections.
The poll had an approximated four percent margin of error.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
U.S. Border Patrol (BP) agents nabbed 21 convicted sex offenders attempting to enter the country illegally in just over a month; all but one were pedophiles.
Agents operating in the Del Rio Sector caught the offenders. 20 had committed sex offenses against children, with the sole other apprehended illegal immigrant convicted of a sexual assault involving sodomy. The sex offenses against children included rape, enticement, exposure, sexual contact, assault, and lewd and lascivious battery.
In less than two months, Del Rio Sector agents have apprehended 21 convicted sex offenders attempting to enter the country illegally. Due to the hard work and dedication of our agents, these dangerous individuals were not able to enter our country. Great work! #lawenforcementpic.twitter.com/neXHrzbmpt
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) November 26, 2023
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) shared the BP update, reflecting that the apprehensions proved the severity of the ongoing border crisis.
“Great job by U.S. Border Patrol, but this just shows how serious our border crisis is!” said Lesko. “We MUST secure the border NOW.”
21 SEX OFFENDERS CAUGHT AT SOUTHERN BORDER!!!
Great job by U.S. Border Patrol, but this just shows how serious our border crisis is!
These latest apprehensions are part of the trend of serious offenders capitalizing on the effectively open border policy of the Biden administration.
Eagle Pass agents apprehended a group of undocumented migrants and records checks revealed that one of the subjects was a convicted sex offender for Sexual Assault to a minor. Our agents are on patrol day and night working to keep our country safe. #lawenforcement#USBPpic.twitter.com/jMxpDiWjfn
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) September 16, 2023
Arrests like this highlight the importance of border security. If not for the men and women in green, this convicted child sex offender would be in our communities. Outstanding Work! #lawenforcement#USBPpic.twitter.com/mS5IQIsKbX
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) July 7, 2023
While on patrol, Del Rio Station agents apprehended a group of undocumented migrants. Among the group was a registered sex offender. Another great job by our men and women keeping criminals like this off our streets! #LawEnforcement#USBPpic.twitter.com/twCN6yzqZD
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) June 27, 2023
Del Rio Sector agents arrested another sex offender! This criminal was previously removed from the United States due to a conviction of sexual conduct against a child. Great work by our agents keeping threats like this out of our communities. pic.twitter.com/RZlyhGubev
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) April 24, 2023
This week, Eagle Pass agents encountered a sex offender soon after illegally entering the United States. Good work agents, preventing this criminal from endangering the public! pic.twitter.com/ZJits0YQ9y
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) March 28, 2023
In June, Del Rio Sector agents marked the apprehension of their 86th sex offender for the 2023 fiscal year. It is currently the 2024 fiscal year; BP runs its fiscal year from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
Agents from the Carrizo Springs station apprehended another convicted sex offender. This marks the 86th sex offender apprehended in Del Rio Sector this fiscal year alone. Our brave men and women patrol day and night ensuring the safety and security of our communities. #USBPpic.twitter.com/msXJwCclSm
— Acting Chief Patrol Agent Juan G. Bernal (@USBPChiefDRT) June 11, 2023
Overall, there have been over 284 illegal immigrants with criminal sexual offense convictions apprehended at the border this past fiscal year. That total marked a slight decline from the past two years: the 2021 fiscal year endured the worst totals at 488 illegal immigrants with criminal sexual offense convictions apprehended, followed by the 2022 fiscal year at 365. The 2018 and 2019 fiscal years were markedly low, with 80 and 58 apprehensions, respectively.
In all, the last fiscal year there were over 2.4 million illegal immigrant encounters along the southern border.
Not counting last month, the first month in the 2024 fiscal year, President Joe Biden’s administration has seen over 6.37 million illegal immigrant encounters along the southern border. October set another record, with nearly 241,000 illegal immigrant encounters compared to the 2023 and 2022 fiscal years, which endured over 231,500 and 164,800 encounters respectively.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Maricopa County Superior Court is refusing to facilitate any further investigations into the 2022 election by former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
On Thursday, Judge John Hannah ruled in Lake v. Richer against Lake’s petition to obtain all Maricopa County ballot envelopes from the 2022 election; despite their status as public record, Hannah expressed concern over the potential harm that could occur to voters, including future voter fraud, harassment of voters, and identity theft.
“The ballot affidavit envelopes from the 2022 election include the signatures of some 1.3 million Maricopa County voters, each conveniently presented with the voter’s name, address, and telephone number on the same page,” said Hannah. “Disclosure of the ballot affidavit envelopes therefore would create a risk of widespread fraud where none exists at present.”
Hannah cited testimony from two voters who had strangers appear at their homes to question the 2022 election. The judge also said that the perception of potential identity theft would dissuade voters from casting early mail-in ballots.
The judge further rejected Lake’s claim that voters lack a privacy interest concerning their ballot affidavit envelope signatures. He pointed out that Lake had failed to identify cases in which Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer had wrongly verified an individual ballot using a faulty signature match.
“An individual has a privacy interest in his or her signature precisely because the signature serves as a badge of personal identification for legal documents and in commercial transactions,” stated Hannah.
Hannah concluded with a comparison of Lake’s petition to the famed Aesop Fable about the goose who laid the golden egg. The judge said that Lake had overlooked democratic self-governance in an effort to vindicate her cause.
“Ms. Lake regards the electoral process much like the villagers in the famous fable regarded the goose that laid the golden egg, except that her goose failed to lay the egg she expected. She insists that something must have gone wrong. If only she could cut open the electoral process and examine each of its 1.3 million pieces, she says, she would be able to figure out what happened and show that the prize has been there waiting for her all along. And even if she doesn’t find what she’s looking for, she suggests, the act of disassembly will strengthen everyone’s confidence that the machinery produces reliable outcomes. We will know it lays the right eggs.”
Richer said that Thursday’s ruling was vindication for his opposition to Lake’s investigatory attempts. Richer had testified that release of the ballot envelopes would lead to reduced voter participation and even disenfranchisement.
“After six hours on the witness stand… I was right on the law. Again,” said Richer.
Democratic lawmakers staged a last-minute boycott of the joint committee on free speech at Arizona’s universities.
On Monday, hours before the hearing began, House and Senate Democrats announced their boycott in a joint statement. They claimed that the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Freedom of Expression at Arizona’s Public Universities had no purpose other than to allow lawmakers to grandstand and to sow misinformation and division.
GOP legislators formed the committee following a controversy earlier this year concerning Arizona State University (ASU) faculty members and a T.W. Lewis Center event featuring prominent conservative speakers.
The Democratic lawmakers also accused their Republican colleagues of furthering lies, and of endangering university students and faculty. Specifically, the caucuses cited an altercation last month between ASU professor David Boyles and Turning Point USA journalists.
“It was made clear that Republican elected officials continue to prop up falsehoods and possibly undermine the safety of students and faculty, as happened when an alt-right camera crew subsequently harassed and assaulted a professor who is a member of the LGBTQ community on the ASU campus,” said the caucuses. “We do not think that this committee will objectively help ASU to take the necessary steps to ensure respect for all speakers to be heard.”
PRESS RELEASE: Senate & House Dems say no to grandstanding, divisive committee attacking universities pic.twitter.com/Js1o1A9OL0
One of the Barrett Honors College (Barrett) professors who opposed the conservative speakers earlier this year, Alex Young, praised the Democratic lawmakers’ boycott. Young indicated that right-leaning lawmakers and other public figures had engaged in hypocrisy by similarly opposing an event featuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) earlier this month.
“Good call. The far-right forces waging a disinformation campaign against Barrett faculty in the name of ‘free speech’ never had any credibility, but their cheering the cancellation of @RepRashida definitively revealed their attacks to be nothing but a politically motivated farce,” said Young. “This hearing, as ridiculous as it was, should clarify for everyone what the entire disinformation campaign being waged against Barrett faculty is all about: an attempt to restrict free speech on campus, not an effort to protect it.”
Good call. The far-right forces waging a disinformation campaign against Barrett faculty in the name of “free speech” never had any credibility, but their cheering the cancellation of @RepRashida definitively revealed their attacks to be nothing but a politically motivated farce. https://t.co/UYwmTpgbtn
ASU issued a 75-page report summarizing its investigation into the state of free speech on its campus, namely concerning the controversy that occurred earlier this year, in compliance with the legislative committee’s directive issued at its last meeting in July.
The committee asked ASU to investigate whether Barrett faculty or administrators ran a national condemnation campaign, violated policy with actions in the classroom, censored speech or interfered with advertising or attendance, or publicly attacked T.W. Lewis Center donors. The university said it couldn’t find evidence to support the accusations.
Monday’s hearing lasted nearly three hours. The committee heard testimony from Tom Lewis, the principal donor of the now-dissolved T.W. Lewis Center, the entity behind the controversial event featuring conservative speakers that prompted the committee’s creation; as well as Lin Blake, the former events operator for ASU Gammage Theater; Brett Johnson on behalf of ASU; Jake Bennett, a policy director with the Israeli American Coalition for Action; and an ASU student identified as “Zack.”
Lewis noted that he began giving his millions to ASU years ago in the hopes of establishing a center to teach courses about success and entrepreneurship, but he reportedly discovered that faculty were reluctant to teach the content and that leaders were more interested in increasing enrollment than ensuring curriculum quality.
“I’ll say about the universities that they don’t take any responsibility for the classroom, but they are willing to sign gift agreements where they receive significant amounts of money from donors,” said Lewis.
In her testimony, Blake linked her termination from ASU with her involvement in allowing two conservative-oriented events to occur at the Gammage Theater. Blake claimed that the theater’s leadership reprimanded her for allowing those events, and that following the events her responsibilities were slowly sapped until she was fired. Blake said the fact that the controversial event still occurred didn’t mean the existence of free speech at ASU.
“If free speech was truly free at ASU, producing events with unpopular viewpoints would not have cost me my job,” said Blake.
Johnson disputed that claim entirely. Johnson also disputed the claim that Ann Atkinson, formerly the head of the T.W. Lewis Center, was let go from her position due to her arranging the controversial speaker event. Johnson indicated there was an impasse over Atkinson’s retainment on condition of her T.W. Lewis Center salary of over $300,000.
Atkinson didn’t testify at this meeting, but she did testify at the previous meeting.
In his testimony, Bennett touched on the trend of local and college student activists engaging in pro-Hamas activity. He suggested the employment of anti-terrorism statutes to defund and deactivate student organizations providing material support to Hamas, which is the designated terrorist organization that governs Gaza. Bennett also suggested the deportation of those terrorist sympathizers on student and temporary visas, as well as the enforcement of Civil Rights laws to secure college campuses.
In closing, the ASU student and self-described conservative political activist “Zack,” claimed that pro-Palestine students protesting the Israel-Hamas War were making general death threats to him and others protesting on behalf of Israel. This included threats like how Adolf Hitler “should have finished the job gassing the Jews,” and students mimicking throats being slit. Zack said that his Jewish friends reported these instances to campus police. Lawmakers encouraged Zack to bring copies of the police report(s) during their next meeting on Jan. 4, 2024.
State Rep. Austin Smith (R-LD29) said that this entire ordeal has made him lose faith in the Arizona Board of Regents’ (ABOR) ability to oversee the universities, which he called “a rubber stamp” for ASU President Michael Crow.
“Our job is not to have to govern the universities. Our job is to implement the laws that the board of regents enforces at these universities. I don’t think that they do,” said Smith. “The Democrats specifically do not want competition. You’re gonna go exactly where we tell you to go to school, and you’re gonna learn, and you’re gonna sit down and you’re gonna shut up and you’re not gonna question anything. And Michael Crow, who thinks he knows better than the Founding Fathers.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Back in October, Democratic lawmakers and activists used the death of a homeless man to advocate for their progressive homelessness policies, claiming he died from the heat; in fact, he died from drug usage, some of which they may have assisted.
According to an autopsy report obtained by AZ Free News, Roosevelt White III, a 36-year-old former resident of the notorious mass homeless encampment known as “The Zone,” died in early September from complications of a left middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke. Contributory cause of death was identified as hypertensive cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and methamphetamine intoxication. White’s fatal injury occurred when he consumed methamphetamine in the setting of underlying natural disease processes.
“In consideration of the known circumstances surrounding this death, the available medical history, and the examination of the remains, it is my opinion that the cause of death is complications of a left middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke with hypertensive cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and methamphetamine intoxication as significant contributing conditions,” stated the autopsy report.
Nowhere in the autopsy report was heat or heat-related illness mentioned; nor was it mentioned as a contributing factor or cause of death.
Yet, multiple Democratic lawmakers told the public that White died from heatstroke. Though unclear where they obtained all of their information, it appears that their only source was a Democratic activist opposed to the cleanup of The Zone, rife with the type of drug use that ultimately took White’s life.
Among those who propagated the misinformation about White’s death were Reps. Nancy Gutierrez (D-LD18) and Analise Ortiz (D-LD24).
Gutierrez decried Republicans for denying the purported climate and housing crises plaguing the state, and said universal school choice was to blame as well. She then encouraged the public to stop voting for Republicans.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear of another heat-related death.The party in charge denies that we have a climate crisis, a housing crisis & they are giving our tax dollars to the rich for private schools,” said Gutierrez. “We must do better for the people of AZ. Your vote matters.”
It’s heartbreaking to hear of another heat related death.The party in charge denies that we have a climate crisis, a housing crisis & they are giving our tax dollars to the rich for private schools.We must do better for the people of AZ. Your vote matters. Rest in peace Roosevelt https://t.co/vTkq75hNuL
— Representative Nancy Gutierrez (@nancygforAZ) October 16, 2023
Ortiz blamed a lack of affordable housing as well, and placed blame for White’s death on the government.
“We have lost another community member to the heat and the lack of adequate shelter space and affordable housing in Phoenix. The state is failing to meet the most basic needs of our friends and neighbors,” said Ortiz.
We have lost another community member to the heat and the lack of adequate shelter space and affordable housing in Phoenix. The state is failing to meet the most basic needs of our friends and neighbors.
Stacey Champion, a public relations consultant and formerly a member of Phoenix’s Sustainability Advisory Committee and the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona board of directors, shared the post as well.
Just heard about this. 💔 The sweetest soul & so sad I haven’t been able to be out as much this summer because of how the crushing heat has affected my own health from too many years of pushing myself in it. #HeatKills#EndHomelessnesshttps://t.co/a297olzFPe
At least one media outlet also took the progressive activists’ at their word that White died from heatstroke: AZ Family.
The viral post cited by the lawmakers and fellow activists came from Megan Kepler, a Democrat activist who volunteers with an organization that feeds the homeless, Feed Phoenix.
“We at Feed Phoenix are heartbroken at the news that our friend Roosevelt passed away in his tent due to heatstroke in the Zone. He was an amazing and talented human and volunteer with Feed Phoenix who was working to better his life, in spite of the odds against him. His death demonstrates the failure of our system to provide assistance to individuals who need our help. His heart was big. He should not have died in a tent. He was 36 years old. Rest in power Roosevelt. You deserved better from us.”
Although Kepler claimed White “died in a tent,” the autopsy record noted that White died in the hospital following multiple days filled with numerous attempts to save his life, including a thrombectomy and intubation. White was admitted on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 12.
As part of Kepler’s activism, she helped pass out “safe use supplies”: clean syringes and naloxone, to assist the homeless in their usage of drugs, such as the meth that ultimately killed White. Rep. Ortiz helped with this effort at least once.
Today was a great day in the Zone. We served over 250 folks home cooked food, snow cones, harm reduction supplies, water and lemonade. Thank you to one of my homies from my hood #ld24@RepAnaliseOrtiz for helping out on this hot Friday💙 @FeedPhoenix#MutualAidpic.twitter.com/V5SUkdqZeG
Kepler has also engaged in activism with Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro, Poder in Action Arizona, Desert Star Family Planning, Go With the Flow Mutual Aid, Radical Women Phoenix, Progress Arizona, Shot in the Dark Phoenix, Arizona For Abortion Access, Phoenix Womxn Rising, Mutual Aid Phoenix, and Women’s March Phoenix.
About a month before his death, White toldThe Arizona Republic that he declined shelter services during the city’s cleanup of The Zone, instead opting to relocate within the mass encampment. Per our past reporting, many of the homeless labeled as “service resistant” will turn down shelter because they can’t bring their drugs inside.
As reported in July, a majority of heat deaths in Maricopa County involved methamphetamine.
Per the autopsy report, White’s organs were taken for donation by the Donor Network of Arizona. Drug use and/or overdose doesn’t disqualify an individual from organ donation.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
