A man wanted for multiple offenses was arrested Thursday over threatening to assassinate Donald Trump during his visit.
Ronald Lee Syvrud, 66, had multiple active warrants: failing to register as a sex offender, a DUI and failure to appear, and a hit and run. Syvrud was added to Wisconsin’s sex offender registry over 20 years ago for sexual assault of a child. Adding to those crimes, Syvrud has been arrested for issuing several threats against Trump.
Under the name “Rudy Lee,” Syvrud posted on Facebook that he planned to shoot Trump with a revolver while the presidential candidate traveled through Cochise County as part of his two-day visit.
The Post Millennial discovered the one post and Syvrud’s several aliased social media accounts, but the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said in its press release that there was another post containing a threat. Syvrud’s Facebook profile has since been deleted.
“Trump is going through here tomorrow and going to Naco, AZ to the port of entry to Mexico. There’s a bar right there called the Gay 90s. Noooo. It’s not a gay bar. Dawn and I will be there early. I bought a scope for my 44 revolver. Unlike that dweeb that missed. I won’t. Maybe I’m joking. Or am I. Wink, wink.”
In earlier posts, Syvrud said he’d wished Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, hadn’t missed. Syvrud would later claim the assassination was faked.
“I give the shooter an A- for effort. Would have gotten an A+ if he succeeded,” said Syvrud. “By the way, the kid was a registered Republican. Got to love it.”
The only reason Trump didn’t die from Crooks’ shot at last month’s rally was because he turned his head for an instant to look up at a screen by the crowd. One of the rally attendees died from a gunshot wound, and two others besides Trump were injured.
It remains unclear why the rooftop on which Crooks lied with a perfect line of sight to Trump wasn’t secured during the rally.
Earlier this week, Trump hosted his first outdoor rally since the attempt on his life. The presidential candidate spoke behind bulletproof glass.
Syvrud’s other political posts focused on his dislike for the Republican Party as a whole.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) apprehended Syvrud within hours of notifying the public that they were looking for him.
CCSO had issued a statement on Tuesday that Syvrud was apprehended without incident.
“As part of the operations plan in place for the visit of candidate Donald Trump on today’s date, locating this subject was a priority. Intelligence developed led to a possible location in the St. David area and multiple units deployed to the location,” stated CCSO. “At approximately 2:16 pm, units on the scene observed the suspect traveling outside of the identified location, and a felony stop was conducted. Syvrud was taken into custody without further incident at approximately 2:30 pm.”
Booking photo for 66yo Ronald Lee Syvrud via Cochise County Sheriff. Syvrud alleged made two social media posts threatening to harm Donald Trump. Authorities say the posts were made on 8/21-8/22. pic.twitter.com/cMXofR9P9D
Trump’s Thursday visit consisted of a press conference at the border in Cochise County. Trump told reporters that he wasn’t made aware of the assassination threat prior to his heading to Arizona, let alone his Thursday outing along the border.
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Another one of Arizona’s middle-of-the-road legislative districts may be represented by a liberal after November’s General Election if enough Democrats and left-leaning independents have their say.
Judy Schwiebert, a Democrat, is running for the Arizona State Senate in Legislative District 2. Schwiebert currently serves as a State Representative for the district. She announced for the seat in June 2023, saying that “we need people who will work together to focus on the toughest challenges facing Arizonans including our teacher, affordable housing, and water shortage crises.”
Schwiebert posted more than 1,600 signatures at the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office earlier this spring to qualify for the ballot.
The Democrat legislator has been endorsed by several left-leaning organizations, including National Organization for Women Arizona PAC, Arizona Education Association, Moms Demand Action, Save Our Schools Arizona, Arizona List, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, Emily’s List, Moms Fed Up, and Human Rights Campaign PAC.
Schwiebert has been a vote for her party’s efforts to stand against border security measures. In 2021, she voted against HCR 2029, which commended the courage of the United States Border Patrol and recognized the role they play in safeguarding Arizona and the U.S. She also co-sponsored HB 2604 in 2023, which would permit the Arizona Department of Transportation to issue a driver’s license or nonoperating ID to a person without legal status in the United States.
This year, she voted against SCR 1042, which proclaimed the legislature’s support for the people and government of Texas in its effort to secure our nation’s southern border.” More recently, Schwiebert refused to support a legislative effort to refer a border security measure to the ballot in this November’s General Election – HCR 2060, voting against the bill when it was considered by her chamber. The proposal, if passed by voters in the fall, would empower local law enforcement to better secure their communities from the increasing calamities from the border crisis.
It’s not just border issues where Schwiebert is showing her true, liberal colors; it’s also the economy where she is demonstrating an inability to moderate to her district’s desires. In 2021, Schwiebert voted no on HB 2113, which would have increased the 25% of allowed charitable deductions in accordance with the average annual change in the metropolitan Phoenix CPI. In 2022, she voted against HCM 2004, which urged Congress to oppose the reporting requirements included in the Biden administration tax increase proposal.
Also in 2022, Schwiebert opposed HB 2389 as one of nine members to vote against changing the time period from one year to six months for an agency that the legislature has granted a one-time rulemaking exemption to review a rule adopted by an agency to determine whether the rule should be amended or repealed. That same year, she voted against creating a TPT exemption for the sale of all machinery and equipment, including off-highway vehicles, utilized for commercial agricultural purposes.
This year, Schwiebert opposed SB 1370, which was coined “the lemonade stand bill.” This legislation exempted a minor or a person who has not graduated from high school from the requirement to obtain a TPT license and pay TPT, use tax, and local excise taxes, if the person’s business gross proceeds of sales or gross income is less than $10,000 per calendar year.
Schwiebert’s leftist leanings didn’t stop with the border and economy. She has a number of votes and bill sponsorships that show her being in lockstep with the Democrats on some of their most radical ideas. In 2023, she co-sponsored HB 2653, which would have established that “restaurants and other food service establishments in the state may only serve water and disposable straws to customers on request.” She also co-sponsored HB 2068, which would have repealed the designation of school sports by biological sex.
Additionally in 2023, Schwiebert voted no on SB 1028, which would have prohibited a person or business from engaging in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the performance could be viewed by a minor. In this most-recent legislative session (2024), she voted against HB 2591, which would have prohibited a public power entity or public service corporation from entering into contract with a person or company that uses forced labor or oppressive child labor.
Arizona Legislative District 2 is one of the most competitive in the state, with a 3.8% vote spread in the past nine statewide elections. It is very winnable for Republicans, however, as the party has emerged victorious in six out of those nine elections. The district covers a large portion of northcentral Phoenix.
Schwiebert ran unopposed in the July primary election for Democrats. She is facing off against the winner of the district’s Republican primary contest for state senator, incumbent Shawnna Bolick.
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Arizona Republicans scored a significant victory for election integrity at the U.S. Supreme Court this week.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its order in Mi Familia v. Adrian Fontes, overruling a panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that had struck down portions of a recently passed state law that required new voters registering with state forms to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote. The law was HB 2492, which was passed in 2022.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Voters Must Provide Proof of Citizenship in Arizona Before Casting a Ballot
“Our legal battle is far from over,” said Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen. “While we’re grateful SCOTUS recognized our state’s sovereignty by allowing our laws requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in Arizona be enforced, individuals who are living here illegally are still able to register on a federal form without providing proof of citizenship. They must only attest they are lawful citizens, then they are able to vote in the presidential and congressional races, as well as by mail, thus influencing the outcome of our elections. We will continue litigating this issue in the coming months with a goal of ensuring only legal U.S. citizens are casting a ballot.”
The emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court from Petersen and Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma followed a mixed – and rather unprecedented – ruling at the Ninth Circuit. Last month, a panel on the court issued an order in support of the Arizona law’s requirement for proof of citizenship in state voter registrations. However, another panel on the same appeals court overturned this ruling, giving anyone in the state the ability to register to vote on a state form without first proving their citizenship.
“This is a great day for election integrity and transparency across Arizona,” said Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “The U.S. Supreme Court rightly realized that the Ninth Circuit had created mass chaos of the law and precedent just a few months before the November General Election, and that this mess could not have been cleaned up after the fall contests. Today, Arizona will be able to protect our elections from illegals voting thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court. We will continue to fight against efforts from liberal special interests to dismantle these commonsense and constitutional laws requiring proof of citizenship to vote in our elections in the Ninth Circuit and look forward to all of the provisions being eventually upheld!”
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated: “This is a major victory for election integrity that upholds a simple principle: American elections must be decided by American citizens. While Democrats have worked to undermine basic election safeguards and make it easier for non-citizens to vote, we have fought tooth and nail to preserve citizenship requirements, see the law enforced, and secure our elections. The Supreme Court has sided with the RNC, and the American people, to protect the vote in November.”
According to information provided by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, “Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch would have granted the application in full, allowing Arizona to not only reject state forms without proof of citizenship, but also prevent Federal Only Voters from voting for President and by mail; while Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Barrett, and Jackson would have denied the application in full. Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh agreed with Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch that Arizona may reject state voter registration forms without proof of citizenship.”
Democrats were not at all jubilant about the order from the nation’s high court. The “X” account for the Arizona Senate Democrats posted, “TODAY: The US Supreme Court ruled that part of the Republican-backed voting law will apply prospectively to new registrations. Arizona Republicans have proudly touted that they have a new ultra-conservative court appointed to uphold their conspiracy-filled ideas – this is nothing but their latest blow to democracy.”
Senator @priya4az said it best: “When Republicans feel like they can’t win, they try to change the rules.”
TODAY: The US Supreme Court ruled that part of the Republican-backed voting law will apply prospectively to new registrations. Arizona Republicans have proudly touted that… pic.twitter.com/0x6gm2Gd7Q
The Arizona House Democrats’ “X” account added, “Today’s 5-4 Supreme Court emergency stay limiting federal only voter registrations without proof of citizenship (beyond swearing under penalty of perjury and providing last 4 digits of SSN) could impact up to 42k Arizona voters. Who are these voters? According to VoteBeat, they are overwhelmingly young and concentrated on college campuses (typically students who register but didn’t bring a birth certificate or passport to campus), disproportionately Hispanic, 52.6% independent, 28.8% Democratic & 14.6% Republican. They also include many naturalized citizens and Indigenous Arizonans who may never have had a birth certificate. The demographic makeup of these voters and the GOP’s intense efforts to disenfranchise them are not coincidental.”
Today’s 5-4 Supreme Court emergency stay limiting federal only voter registrations without proof of citizenship (beyond swearing under penalty of perjury and providing last 4 digits of SSN) could impact up to 42k Arizona voters. Who are these voters? According to @votebeat they…
A radical Democrat state representative is attempting to return to her middle-of-the-road legislative district for a new term in office.
State Representative Lorena Austin is running for reelection in Arizona Legislative District 9, which covers the city of Mesa. According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, the district is likely one of the most competitive in the state, with a 2.6% vote spread in the Commission’s nine focus elections. Democrats are slightly favored in the district, having won in five of those nine focus elections.
Despite her district being more moderate in its political makeup, Austin has demonstrated a propensity to become one of the most extreme leftist members of the Arizona Legislature on almost every issue.
In a struggling state and national economy, where many families are struggling to get by in life, keep their jobs, and save for their children’s futures, Austin showed no mercy with her votes. This year, she was one of a handful of members to vote against HCR 2002, which stated that the legislature recognizes, encourages, and continues to support Arizona’s beef producing farmers, ranchers, and families. Last year (2023), she voted no on SB 1131, which would have prohibited a county, city, or town from levying a tax on rental property.
Austin is also opposed to individual property rights, as her votes have indicated. In 2023, she was one of 14 members to vote against final passage of a bill prohibiting protestors from targeting people in their own homes by protesting on their residential property (SB 1023).
This latest legislative session (2024), Austin voted no on SB 1129, which would have allowed a property owner or the owners’ agent to request from law enforcement the immediate removal of a person who is unlawfully occupying a residential dwelling. She also opposed SB 1073, which would have established a new form of the existing offense of obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare and classified this new form of the offense as a class 6 felony (which was introduced in response to protestors blocking traffic).
Austin’s legislative record extends, too, into bouts of radical socialism. In 2023, she co-sponsored HB 2610, which would have created a state-owned bank. Additionally, she co-sponsored HB 2653, which would have established that “restaurants and other food service establishments in this state may only serve water and disposable straws to customers on request.” Earlier this year, Austin voted no on HB 2629, which would have established November 7 of each year as Victims of Communism Day and required the State Board of Education to create a list of recommended resources for mandatory instruction on the topic in certain public school courses.
The Democrat lawmaker has refused to support solutions to help her state end the border crisis affecting almost every community in Arizona – not to mention elsewhere in the nation. In 2023, Austin co-sponsored HB 2604, which would have permitted the Arizona Department of Transportation to issue a driver’s license or nonoperating ID to a person without legal status in the United States. And in this most recent legislative session, she voted no on HB 2621, which would have deemed that the trafficking of fentanyl across Arizona’s border is a public health crisis and directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to do everything within its power to address the crisis. She also opposed SCR 1042, which proclaimed the legislature’s support for the people and government of the state of Texas in its efforts to secure our nation’s southern border.
Austin has an awful record in office on crimes against children. In 2023, she voted against SB 1028, which would have prohibited a person or business from engaging in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the performance could be viewed by a minor. She also voted no on SB 1583, which would have mandated that a level one sex offender who commits specified sexual offenses is required to register on the internet sex offender website if the offender was sentenced for a dangerous crime against children.
This most recent legislative session (2024), Austin continued her spree of opposing legislation that would have protected more Arizona children from horrific crimes committed against them. She voted no on SB 1236, which would have specified that any offender who was convicted of or adjudicated guilty except insane for sexual crimes against children, whether completed or preparatory, and was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense, must be included on the internet sex offender website. She also opposed HB 2835, which would have established knowingly observing a nude minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct for a person’s sexual gratification as a form of criminal sexual exploitation of a minor. And Austin voted no on a ballot referral (SCR 1021), which would statutorily require an adult who is convicted of a class 2 felony for any child sex trafficking offense to be sentenced to natural life imprisonment.
As with many of her fellow Democrats running for the state legislature, Austin promotes endorsements from left-leaning organizations for her campaign for the Arizona House of Representatives, including Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, Save Our Schools Arizona, Progressive Turnout Project, HRC in Arizona, AEA Fund for Public Education, NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona, Stonewall Democrats of Arizona, Arizona Education Association, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Emily’s List, and Human Rights Campaign PAC.
There is one endorsement for Austin that appears to be absent from her website, from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. Austin’s support from this PAC may be one of the most concerning for voters researching her record and determining which direction they want to see for their district. This PAC asserts that “major solutions are stopped cold: the Green New Deal, Build Back Better, clean energy investments, ending billions in tax subsidies to the fossil fuel industry – all because of politicians backed by Big Oil.”
The Green New Deal pushed by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC is the same championed by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is one of the most progressive lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The district is currently represented by two Democrats in the state House of Representatives. Austin and her fellow Democrat incumbent, Seth Blattman, ran unopposed in the recent primary election. Austin received 10,353 votes, and Blattman obtained 8,741 votes. They will face off against Republicans Mary Ann Mendoza and Kylie Barber, who also ran unopposed in the primary election. Mendoza garnered 10,429 votes, and Barber received 10,136 votes.
November’s General Election will be the second time that Mendoza has been pitted against Austin and Blattman. In 2022, Austin and Blattman defeated Mendoza and her running mate, Kathy Pearce, to assume their offices for the 2023 Arizona legislative session.
Correction: A previous version of this article listed the incorrect vote totals for the candidates. The totals have now been updated with the latest results from the Arizona Secretary of State website.
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Wednesday evening in Scottsdale, the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) America First Women’s Agenda hosted a Border Safety Town Hall with community leaders and experts on the border to explore and discuss the implications of border security on Arizona and “the rising violence against women both near the border and across the country.”
Ashley Hayek, AFPI Chief Engagement Officer, and Executive Director of America First Works spoke, joined by Art Del Cueto, Executive Board Member of the National Border Patrol Council, Rob Law, the AFPI Director of the Center for Homeland Security and Immigration, Kimmie Dillon, the America First Works Coordinator for Maricopa County, and Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp (R-AZ29).
In a post to X, the AFPI shared images and video of the townhall calling the evening, “A successful night in Scottsdale, AZ, focusing on border safety.” They added, “We deeply appreciate the families who shared their stories of losing loved ones to fentanyl and the experts who provided insights on the border crisis and how we can protect our communities. This is a fight we can’t stop fighting.”
A successful night in Scottsdale, AZ, focusing on border safety. We deeply appreciate the families who shared their stories of losing loved ones to fentanyl and the experts who provided insights on the border crisis and how we can protect our communities. This is a fight we can’t… pic.twitter.com/ENWIGQQmXX
— America First Policy Institute (@A1Policy) August 22, 2024
Sen. Shamp shared the post writing, “God bless every family who has lost a loved one to this deadly crisis created by the Harris Administration. #everystateisaborderstate #border911 #SaveAmerica #TrumpVance2024”
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protections’s Criminal Noncitizen Statistics, convictions of non-citizens has increased year-over-year since 2021 and are projected to outpace 2023 metrics.
By criminal type, convictions for assault, battery, and domestic violence have consistently increased over the same period alongside driving under the influence, drug possession and trafficking. Sexual offenses have decreased slightly after spiking in 2021.
In a thread to X on August 20, Law prefaced the townhall writing about the recent report from the DHS Inspector General that stated over 320,000 illegal immigrant children were released into the U.S. to unvetted adults, and over 32,000 are confirmed to be unaccounted for.
“The day after the DNC endorsed amnesty for human traffickers, the DHS Inspector General confirms that Biden-Harris handed over ~320k unaccompanied alien children back to the traffickers. This is FAR WORSE than the 85k lost UAC previously reported by NYT.
The Inspector General confirms that these migrant children Biden-Harris facilitated being trafficked to the US are now trapped in sex trafficking & forced labor. There is NO plan to locate them & return to home country.
A Saturday night announcement from Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes confirmed that the radical-left, “Eco-Socialist” Green Party’s eight candidates will be moving ahead with a write-in strategy for the November general election.
According to its website the Green Party advocates for “a just transition to a democratically controlled eco-socialist economy through a Green New Deal,” as well as “’Degrowth’ policies to reduce overproduction, overconsumption, and waste,” and espouses “Social Justice & Equality For All,” as well as “Feminism And Gender Equity.”
As reported by the Arizona Daily Independent, the write-in candidates were not included in the official Arizona primary canvass owing to a clerical error, citing an Aug. 17th press release from the Secretary of State’s office.
“A write-in candidate for a newly recognized political party must receive a plurality of the votes of the party for the office for which the candidate is competing for,” reads the press release. “A party with continued representation requires at least as many votes as they would have had petition signatures. The winning candidates in the Primary all receive certificates of nomination in the days after the canvass and these Green candidates who won their party nomination are included.”
Secretary Fontes also ran afoul of the Green Party earlier this month when he declared the wrong Green Party winner in the U.S. Senate primary as reported by KJZZ.
🚨 BREAKING: The AZ Secretary of State's is doing anything but restoring confidence in our elections!🚨
Adrian Fontes ADMITTED to declaring the WRONG Green Party winner in the U.S. Senate primary?
Green Party write-in candidate Eduardo Quintana said at the time, “We’re supposed to be able to run for office when we disagree on certain policies, and the public compares our opinions and decides who to vote for, and we’re elected in a Democratic way.”
The Green Party at present has just 100 elected officials in office nationwide, and Arizona has never had a Green Party candidate win an election for state or federal office.
Green party write-in candidates moving on to general election:
Eduardo Quintana, U.S. Senate – Eduardo Quitaro is running for the Arizona U.S. Senator open seat against Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego. According to Quintana’s campaign website, he is running with the Arizona Green Party to “offer a political choice outside our failed two-party system careening towards nuclear war and environmental catastrophe.” Quintana’s priorities include ending the Israeli/Palestinian war, phasing out the burning of fossil fuels and replacing them with renewable energy sources, and transitioning to an eco-socialist economy, among others.
Vincent Beck-Jones, Congressional District 4 U.S. Representative – Vincent Beck-Jones will be running for Congressional District 4 U.S. Representative. He will face incumbent Democrat Greg Stanton and Republican Kelly Cooper. According to Cooper’s campaign website, he is firmly standing on a Green Party platform. “Our country was once based on ideals of freedom and choice,” reads his website. “But, for 237 years we have been held to an Us vs Them system. A duopoly of politics where the two parties are merely just opposite sides of a single coin. We are left choosing which option seems less detrimental to us. This isn’t a real choice. Without choice we have no freedom.”
Athena Eastwood, Congressional District 6 U.S. Representative – Write-in Green Party Candidate Athena Eastwood will be moving on to the general election running for U.S. representative for Congressional District 6. She will go up against Republican Juan Ciscomani and Democrat Kirsten Engel.
Tre Rook, Legislative District 8 State Representative – Tre Rook is running as a write-in Green Party candidate in the general election. Two candidates will be elected for each legislative district and Rook will be going up against Republican Caden Darrow and Democrats Brian Garcia and Janeen Connolly in the general election.
Cody Hannah, Legislative District 3 State Representative – Cody Hannah, a student and activist, is one of the youngest people running for a legislative office in Arizona. He is running on the Green Party platform and will be moving on to the general election where he will be running against Republican Jeff Weninger and Democrat Brandy Reese. “Cody is a committed advocate for people, planet, and peace, and he is ready to both work with and stand against the Democrats and Republicans in the AZ Legislature in order to fight for the needs of working class Arizonans and our environment,” reads Hannah’s campaign website.
Scott Menor, Legislative District 14 State Representative – Scott Menor, a write-in Green Party candidate, will be running against Republicans Laurin Hendrix and Khyl Powell in the general election. Menor said that by running for LD 14 state representative, he hopes to “break the duopoly. I can represent you and give you an outsized voice as a tipping-point-independent in the Arizona State House,” reads his campaign website. Menor’s other priorities include electoral reform, universal healthcare, education, basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, housing, mobility and autonomy, and access to abortion.
Mike Cease & Nina Luxenberg, Corporation Commission – Mike Cease and Nina Luxenberg are the Green Party candidates running for one of the three open seats as Arizona corporation commissioner. The other candidates they will be running against include Republicans Rachel Walden, Rene Lopez, and Lea Marquez Peterson, and Democrats Ylenia Aguilar, Jonathan Hill, and Joshua Polacheck.
