by Staff Reporter | Mar 1, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona’s elected leaders reacted along a partisan divide to the U.S. attack to liberate Iran from the Islamic regime.
Arizona’s Republican congressional officials have signaled support for President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a joint military operation against Iran, and called for an end to the partial government shutdown to ensure full funding for this military venture.
Arizona’s Democratic officials oppose the attack. They are looking to compel a vote on the War Powers Resolution, though all conceded their opposition to the continued existence of the Iranian regime.
Early Saturday morning, the U.S. and Israel attacked over a dozen areas across Iran, at least, including the capital Tehran. The attacks resulted from Iran’s failures to meet nuclear negotiations. Iran retaliated with missile strikes without success.
Key fatalities include several senior Iranian officials. The fate of Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, remains disputed as of this report. A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry claimed Khamenei was alive. However, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday afternoon that Khamenei was dead.
“[Khamenei] was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” said Trump.
Trump said the bombings would continue until peace was achieved in the Middle East.
Trump urged Iranians to conduct a regime change in an address shared to social media early Saturday morning. Trump said the U.S. attacked Iran to eliminate threats to the American regime.
“I say tonight that the hour of freedom is at hand,” said Trump. “When we are finished, take over your government, it will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years you have asked for America’s help but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight.”
To the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, armed forces, and police, Trump advised them to cease their resistance.
“Lay down your arms and you will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death,” said Trump.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) called on Democrats in Congress to end the partial government shutdown in order to provide full funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) said Iran chose this escalation, not the U.S.
“Today’s action by President Trump sends a clear message: the Iranian regime’s aggression and destabilizing threats will not go unanswered,” said Ciscomani. “For decades, the Iranian regime has funded terror, attacked our allies, and threatened American servicemembers.”
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ03) expressed reluctance to recognize Trump’s authority to launch a war without congressional authorization. Ansari’s parents came to the U.S. as Iranian refugees of the Islamic regime.
“Consistent with my previous votes, public statements, and the consensus in my district, I believe no president — Republican or Democrat — has the authority to launch military strikes of this magnitude without Congressional approval,” said Ansari. “I want a free Iran and a future of democracy and dignity for the Iranian people. Those goals must be part of a coherent strategy that does not risk chaos or another endless war in the Middle East and require seriousness and leadership equal to the stakes.”
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ04) said none would mourn the collapse of the Islamic Republic, but that Trump was wrong for launching such an attack.
“[T]he United States cannot be dragged into another open-ended foreign war. Americans know the cost of conflicts with no clear strategy, no defined objectives, and no end in sight, and they do not want to repeat those mistakes,” said Stanton.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ07) accused Trump of entering the U.S. into another “forever war,” characterizing this latest attack as both reckless and needless.
“Taking the United States into a major military conflict without debate or the consent of the people’s representatives is a clear violation of Congress’s constitutional war powers,” said Grijalva.
Sen. Ruben Gallego claimed there was another pathway for the U.S. supporting Iranian regime change without going to war.
“Young working-class kids should not pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people,” said Gallego. “Strikes are underway and Congress hasn’t voted. No President gets to drag working-class Americans into another war without authorization.”
Sen. Mark Kelly, like Grijalva, questioned Trump’s promise of keeping the U.S. out of war.
“The Iranian people deserve freedom. They deserve the right to choose their own leaders. So, what’s the plan for what comes next?” said Kelly. “I don’t think Donald Trump knows the answer, and that’s dangerous when American lives are on the line.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 28, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
State Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30) recently posted a series of messages alleging that some Arizona Democratic lawmakers accepted endorsements from the Communist Party and have not renounced them. His comments came as protests over federal immigration enforcement continued in Phoenix and across the state.
Gillette cited photos in the Arizona Republic, which depicted demonstrators carrying red banners emblazoned with the hammer and sickle, an internationally recognized symbol of communism, during an anti-immigration enforcement protest outside the State Capitol in Phoenix on January 23.
In his social media posts, Gillette asserted that several Democratic members of the Arizona Legislature had received endorsements from the Communist Party and noted that “none of the elected Dems renounced the Communist endorsement,” though his posts did not specify which lawmakers he referenced.
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Arizona Reps. Mariana Sandoval (D-LD23) and Lorena Austin (D-LD9) were both endorsed by the Arizona Working Families Party (WFP), which, according to its website, describes itself as “building our own party on top of the two-party system in the United States,” and “organiz[ing] outside the two parties.”
In July 2025, AZ Free News reported that the WFP also endorsed Democrat Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva during her candidacy in the special election as well as socialist New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Responding to a commenter who shared imagery of Communist Party founder Vladimir Lenin gleaned from a Working Families Party post, Gillette noted: “They took that down after the original posting. I can work with a Kennedy dem… sure they like big govt, taxes, welfare state, but they can be reasonable and dont [sic] hate America like these woke progressive Communists.”
Gillette’s remarks drew attention against a backdrop of Arizona’s ongoing political debates over immigration, federal enforcement, and state-federal relations. Responses from Arizona legislative Democrats to Gillette’s endorsement claims were not contained in his posts, and follow-up statements from affected lawmakers were not immediately available.
In recent weeks, multiple gatherings have taken place in Phoenix opposing ICE activity and federal immigration enforcement. Dozens of protesters gathered outside an ICE field office near 7th Avenue and Montecito calling for the agency to stay out of Arizona after federal immigration enforcement actions sparked nationwide pushback. Demonstrators marched toward downtown Phoenix as part of the event.
Earlier in January, activists in Phoenix held demonstrations outside an ICE office following the fatal shooting of Renée Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, joining similar demonstrations in other cities in Arizona.
On January 20th, roughly 200 protesters participated in a nationwide “Free America Walkout” demonstration at the Arizona State Capitol, marked by chants, poetry, and marches around the Capitol grounds. Organizers framed the protest as part of broader national actions coinciding with the anniversary of Trump’s second inauguration.
In the Phoenix area and at nearby university campuses, youth and students also participated in walkouts and demonstrations calling for limits on federal immigration enforcement and criticizing ICE, including protests featuring chants against the agency and President Trump.
The rallies in Phoenix reflect a broader pattern of protests and demonstrations nationwide this month, including protests involving activist groups identifying as socialist or communist, in response to federal immigration enforcement actions and fatal shootings involving ICE agents. National coverage from Fox News noted coordinated events in multiple U.S. cities, with activist groups staging protests in opposition to ICE operations and Trump administration policies.
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.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 27, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Rep. Adelita Grijalva praised the invasion of a church service by anti-ICE protesters.
The protesters targeted the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a Sunday worship service after they learned one of the pastors, David Easterwood, was ICE’s acting field office director in Minnesota. Easterwood was not present for that service.
During the invasion of the church, Nekima Levy Armstrong claimed Christians couldn’t support immigration enforcement efforts. Armstrong’s activist group, Racial Justice Network, organized the protest.
“Someone who claims to worship God teaching people in this church about God is out there overseeing ICE agents,” said Armstrong.
Church leaders were witnessed on camera asking the protesters to leave, but the protesters refused.
Federal authorities arrested three of the activists for allegedly orchestrating the church invasion: Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly. Their charges alleged violations of the FACE Act.
The Freedom to Access Clinic Entrances Act of 1994 (FACE Act) criminalizes the intimidation or interference of those seeking to exercise their First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem dubbed the invasion the “Church Riots.”
“Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States – there is no first amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion,” said Noem.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Trump administration won’t tolerate disruptions of Christians’ freedom to worship.
“Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law,” said Bondi.
Grijalva defended the church invasion. She told CNN that ICE agents deserved to be harassed. Grijalva claimed illegal immigrants undergoing deportation proceedings were being “kidnapped” and implied they had a right to be in this country.
“[T]his federal agent now knows what it’s like to have his daily life and privacy interrupted. This is a daily occurrence for our immigrant communities – being followed and kidnapped outside of schools, churches, and hospitals,” said Grijalva. “The difference is this agent got to go home at the end of the day, where many families have no idea where their loved ones are when they’ve been kidnaped off the streets.”
Grijalva also claimed ICE had deported U.S. citizens as well as veterans.
ICE has deported minors born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents.
DHS advised that they allow the parents to either be removed with their children, or have their children placed with another individual: this choice is left up to the parents. DHS under Trump has consistently maintained that policy.
Deportations of veterans occur in cases where those noncitizens have committed certain crimes (per the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996) or failed to follow through with the required citizenship proceedings.
Grijalva also praised the high school students who played hooky to protest deportations, characterizing the present immigration enforcement as an “overreach.”
Last month, the congresswoman claimed she was shoved and pepper sprayed by ICE agents at a protest without provocation. DHS responded with an accusation that Grijalva joined an anti-ICE mob attempting to obstruct an immigration raid. DHS later stated that two law enforcement officers were “seriously injured” by the mob that Grijalva joined.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 13, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A former Tucson councilman’s pornographic and violent past has resurfaced again amid his newly launched state senate race.
Tucson Councilman Rocque Perez advocated for the harm and murder of his political opponents and promoted pornography in the years immediately leading up to his foray into politics. Perez has since deleted all of the incriminating posts.
AZ Free News covered Perez’s rhetoric in October. These posts were made in 2020, around the time that Perez was a student body senator for the University of Arizona.
Perez advised his friend to murder conservative family members:
“So kill them, do your duty baby girl,” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to murder a classmate defending President Donald Trump:
“This vapid white girl is defending Trump[’s] response to COVID in my Zoom public relations class, do I end her or do I end her,” posted Perez.
Perez called for the assassination of Ivanka Trump:
“Someone throw this b***h off the capitol building roof please,” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to assault Trump if given the opportunity.
“Honestly I would take one for the team and knock him out if I could,” posted Perez.
Perez also wished for Trump to die from COVID-19, in multiple posts.
Perez called for the assault of conservative activist and pundit Kaitlin Bennett:
“How has she not gotten beat yet? Like… hath no one the bravery to literally hurt her cause…?” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to stab Trump voters:
“Roses are red, violets are blue, vote for Joe Biden, or I’ll cut you,” posted Perez.
Although Perez has ceased posting the caliber of violent rhetoric of his past, his actions indicate that he still holds the sentiments that inspired those deleted posts.
On Friday, Perez participated in a vigil for Renée Nicole Good, the Minnesota woman and anti-ICE activist fatally shot by law enforcement after driving her car in the direction of an ICE agent.
Along with advocating for assault and murder, Perez posted pornographic videos and pictures to promote his OnlyFans account.
In one of the posts, Perez claimed he engaged in sexual activities with an unnamed male professor and was later solicited by the professor’s husband.
In another post made in March 2021, Perez claimed to have masturbated while at work at the University of Arizona.
“Guys I’m so horny I might jerk off somewhere at work, stay tuned,” posted Perez. “Update: loads of bro butter at work.”
Both Perez’s personal and porn accounts were public. As a result, at least one minor engaged with Perez’s work. The California Globe uncovered in a report that one minor at the time, now a staffer for Tucson Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, engaged with Perez’s porn account.
Although his pornography was public and clearly visible to minors, Perez would go on to become executive director for a nonprofit directly involved with minors: the Metropolitan Education Commission (MEC), created by Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva. MEC advises and makes recommendations on K-12 education for all of Pima County.
Perez launched his state senate campaign in December, around when his six-month appointment to the Tucson City Council came to an end.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 6, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s elected officials are sharply divided following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and their transfer to the United States to face federal criminal charges.
The dramatic action, announced by President Donald Trump, involved a precision military operation in Caracas and the extraction of Maduro to New York, where he is expected to appear in federal court on drug and narco-terrorism charges.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) condemned the raid in a statement posted to X, saying that while Maduro is a “brutal, illegitimate dictator” who deserves justice, the decision to overthrow a foreign ruler without broader planning undermines U.S. security and lacks a clear strategy for what comes next. Kelly said the operation doesn’t “make Americans any safer today than they were yesterday” and warned against repeating past foreign policy mistakes.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07) also criticized the operation in a statement posted to X, as “reckless, unconstitutional, and deeply destabilizing,” arguing that bypassing Congress for military action erodes democratic accountability and sets a dangerous precedent.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) argued that while Maduro’s regime “shattered Venezuela,” the U.S. Constitution requires congressional authorization for acts of war — a threshold he argued was not met.
Support for the raid among Arizona Republicans centered on holding Maduro accountable for years of alleged narcotic trafficking and violence.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) framed the action as a decisive strike against a “narco-terror regime” responsible for drug flows into the United States. He praised U.S. military personnel for executing the mission “with courage and precision” and said the operation sends a clear signal that the U.S. will confront threats in its hemisphere.
In a similar supporting statement, Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) wrote, “I support President Donald Trump’s decisive actions to hold Nicolás Maduro accountable, a brutal oppressor who has led a drug cartel masquerading as a government and terrorized his own people. Maduro is an illegitimate ruler who lost at the ballot box and now clings to power through violence, corruption, and the narcotics trade that has poisoned American communities. This is peace through strength in action, defending our own backyard and stopping threats before they reach our borders. Reports that Chinese officials met with Maduro just yesterday and were still on the ground during the operation only underscore how urgent and necessary strong American leadership is. Peace through strength!”
Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) characterized the raid as consistent with “America First” leadership and defended the legal grounding of the operation, noting that the indictments against Maduro formed the basis for a law-enforcement action with military support.
Sen. Warren Petersen (R-LD14) also praised the operation, highlighting Maduro’s status as an indicted narco-terrorist and emphasizing that Trump’s actions were necessary where previous administrations had failed.
He wrote, “Maduro murdered thousands, indicted twice on narco-terrorism charges, and has a $50M bounty on his head. Yet our classless Democrat Senators are sympathizing with him and crying over his arrest. Unreal. Prioritizing a brutal thug over justice and the Venezuelan people. The DOJ arrested him with assistance of the US Military. 100 percent constitutional under Article 2 powers. Biden said he would take care of Maduro but did not. Biden talked, Trump acted.”
Karrin Taylor Robson, also a Republican gubernatorial contender, thanked U.S. troops for the successful mission and described Trump’s action as protecting American communities from drug-related harm.
The split in Arizona reflects a broader national debate over executive authority, constitutional war powers, and U.S. foreign intervention, and, more broadly, familiar partisan divisions over President Donald Trump. Democrats argue the military action lacked legal authorization and risks long-term entanglement abroad, while Republicans applaud the decisive removal of a hostile regime accused of narcotics trafficking and oppression.
As Maduro’s legal proceedings unfold in U.S. federal court, the divergent Arizona reactions illustrate how foreign policy flashpoints continue to break sharply along partisan lines.
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.
