Two years after the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is drawing attention to past remarks by Arizona Democratic congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza in which she questioned the federal government and compared the United States to countries where democracy has collapsed.
Mendoza, a retired Marine running to represent Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District, made the statements during three separate political appearances released online between 2025 and 2026.
The RNC accused Mendoza of contributing to hostile political rhetoric surrounding Trump and connected her comments to the violence directed against him.
“JoAnna Mendoza continues to spew vile conspiracy theories and the extremely divisive rhetoric that have led to three assassination attempts against President Trump,” RNC spokesman Nick Poche said in a statement provided to AZ Free News. “Americans will never forget what happened in Butler, or the Democrats who refused to lower the temperature and tried to tear our nation apart.”
In the first video, released by LD18 Democrats, Mendoza questioned the reliability of federal intelligence while answering a question about the Middle East and Iran.
Mendoza criticized the Biden and Trump administrations’ handling of Israel, Gaza, and Iran before questioning whether the government possessed reliable intelligence about recent actions involving Iran.
“Can we even trust our intelligence agencies right now?” Mendoza asked. “Can we even trust our government to give us the correct information? And I think the answer to that is no.”
Mendoza said she was alarmed by what she described as the Trump administration’s actions in communities across the country and suggested that the nation’s democratic institutions were being eroded.
“It really scares me to think that, you know, what we’re seeing play out right now across our nation in communities, to see what this administration is doing, I never thought that I would see in the homeland,” Mendoza said.
“I never thought that I would see what has transpired happen here,” she continued. “You see it in countries like the ones I’ve been deployed to where democracy does not exist or has fallen.”
Mendoza did not identify a single policy or incident in that portion of the presentation. Rather, she broadly characterized the administration’s conduct as “unprecedented” and said she entered the race because she could no longer remain on the sidelines.
“What we’re seeing is unprecedented, and this is not the norm,” Mendoza said. “I just couldn’t stand by on the sidelines and watch this happen to our country or to its people, to us, to we the people.”
The third clip came from an interview with MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas, who introduced Mendoza during a segment criticizing Trump and Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06).
During a discussion of border security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mendoza questioned the training and conduct of ICE agents. Meiselas compared the administration’s practices to propaganda and tactics employed in other countries, and Mendoza agreed with the comparison.
“I know. It’s like we’re living in a third world country,” Mendoza said. “I mean, I’ve been deployed to countries who do not have democracy, who are in authoritarian regimes.”
“I never thought that I would see the government and its federal law enforcement agency turn against the American people,” she added, before alleging a pattern of misconduct involving ICE agents.
The RNC released the clips on July 13, two years after Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire during Trump’s campaign rally near Butler.
Trump was wounded in the right ear. Former fire chief Corey Comperatore was killed while protecting his family, and rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver were wounded, according to the Secret Service.
The FBI said in a 2024 statement that its investigation found no credible evidence that Crooks worked with co-conspirators. Investigators examined his electronic devices, searches, and online activity but did not determine a definitive motive.
The Associated Press reported that Crooks searched for campaign appearances involving both Trump and then-President Joe Biden and viewed the Butler rally as a “target of opportunity.” Reuters reported that his computer activity reflected a mixture of ideological interests without demonstrating a definitive left- or right-wing motivation.
Trump faced another assassination attempt on Sept. 15, 2024, when Ryan Wesley Routh positioned himself with a rifle near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A federal jury convicted Routh in September 2025, and he was sentenced in February to life plus 84 months in federal prison. At trial, prosecutors presented a letter in which Routh described the incident as an assassination attempt and offered $150,000 to anyone who would “complete the job.”
Routh’s writings demonstrated explicit hostility toward Trump. The Associated Press previously reported that Routh had urged Iran to assassinate Trump in a self-published book and later wrote that “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”
A federal grand jury has also indicted Cole Tomas Allen on charges including attempting to assassinate Trump during an April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Prosecutors alleged that Allen ran through a security checkpoint carrying a shotgun and fired at a Secret Service officer, striking the officer’s ballistic vest, as he moved toward the ballroom where Trump was located.
Reuters reported that Allen sent relatives a manifesto describing Trump administration officials as prioritized targets. Prosecutors alleged that Allen disagreed politically with Trump and wanted to “fight back” against government policies he considered morally objectionable. Allen pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending.
Mendoza is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Ciscomani in November.
Mendoza is also facing questions from the RNC about salary payments she has received from her own campaign.
The Mendoza campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The governing board president of the Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) endorsed a code term named in a federal indictment as a threat against President Donald Trump.
In a Facebook post, PVUSD governing board president Anthony “Tony” Pantera shared a picture reposted by “The 50501 Movement,” an anti-Trump Facebook group, depicting seashells and rocks forming the numbers “8647.”
The string of numbers refers to eliminating (to “86” someone) President Trump (the 47th president). The picture was the same one posted and later deleted by former FBI Director James Comey last May, who was indicted by the Trump administration in April over the message.
Comey posted the message after Trump survived multiple assassination attempts in 2024. He maintains innocence and denies that his post held any violent connotations.
The first and more serious of the two occurred in July 2024 at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. One supporter was killed by the would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks; two other attendees were injured, and one bullet struck Trump’s ear. Crooks fired eight shots before he was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service.
A second assassination attempt occurred in September 2023 outside of Trump International Golf Club. That would-be assassin, Ryan Routh, was fired upon and fled before he could shoot at Trump. Routh was sentenced to life in prison in February.
In addition to the Pennsylvania and Florida assassination attempts, in late 2024 federal agents foiled an assassination plot against Trump by a Pakistani terrorist in Texas, Asif Merchant, who had been recruiting terrorists on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump recently was subjected to another assassination attempt several weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Would-be assassin Cole Tomas Allen rushed the event and shot at agents; one federal agent was struck in his bulletproof vest, but nobody was harmed.
The term “86” has mixed meanings — while it signifies “getting rid of” someone, that can range from firing to murder.
One origin of the slang can be traced to a mob-era phrase, “80 miles out and six feet under,” meaning the person subjected to a mob hit would be made to go outside of civilization to be killed and buried: “80 miles out [from civilization] and [buried] six feet under[ground].” Another relates to the historical sizing of a grave: 86 inches for vaults, or eight feet long and six feet deep for a plot.
Other origins include the shooting down of enemy planes by F-86 fighter jets in the Korean War; Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice describing those who go AWOL; alphanumeric associations on rotary phones in which the number eight was “T” and the number six was “O,” short for throwing out; old bartender traditions of serving less potent, 86-proof liquor to drunken patrons rather than 100-proof.
Mixed origins of the phrase aside, the Trump administration took Comey’s post as a threat of violence against Trump. A grand jury agreed and issued a two-count indictment against Comey. The indictment found that Comey knowingly and willfully made a threat to inflict bodily harm or kill Trump.
Pantera first took office in 2023. Prior to joining the governing board, Pantera taught in PVUSD for over 40 years.
Community members have called for Pantera to resign over his endorsement of Comey’s message.
🚨 Paradise Valley USD Parents & Residents: Your voice is needed!
PVUSD School Board President Anthony Pantera took to social media to repost a violent political message as seen below. This is UNACCEPTABLE! He oversees a school district!
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Sergio Arellano criticized U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego in a statement this week, alleging the two lawmakers have put First Amendment protections at risk by opposing funding for the United States Secret Service.
The statement from the Arizona Republican Party followed an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, which led to a suspect being charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
Arellano criticized media coverage of President Donald Trump as well as the two senators, writing that “while the fake news has created the environment that has fostered four unsuccessful assassination attempts against President Donald Trump, it is Arizona’s two senators, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, who are ultimately responsible because they have continually refused to approve funding for the Secret Service.”
AZGOP Chair Arellano @SurgeShow : Senators Kelly and Gallego put First Amendment at Risk by Denying Funding for USSShttps://t.co/fB4mxQMpmE
He argued that the senators’ actions jeopardize constitutional protections, including those outlined in the First Amendment.
“Like me, both men swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution when they entered the Armed Services, and most of us veterans know intimately that ‘freedom isn’t free,’” Arellano said. “It appears that either Senators Kelly and Gallego don’t understand that basic concept, or they have willingly violated their oath to protect and defend the Constitution, including the First Amendment, which was under attack Saturday night.”
In January 2026, both senators were among Democrats who voted to block a Department of Homeland Security funding measure amid ongoing negotiations over immigration enforcement policies.
At the time, Gallego said he would not support additional DHS funding without changes to how immigration enforcement agencies operate, while Kelly also indicated opposition to the funding bill under consideration.
The Department of Homeland Security includes multiple agencies, including the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Congressional funding measures for DHS typically cover these agencies collectively rather than separately.
The AZGOP statement did not cite a specific vote or bill related solely to Secret Service funding.
The DOJ confirmed in a press release Monday that Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was charged with one count of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
As of publication, neither Kelly nor Gallego had publicly responded to the AZGOP statement.
An Arizona Member of Congress is attempting to ensure that the U.S. Secret Service is better equipped to protect those under its watch.
Last week, U.S. Congressman Andy Biggs introduced the Secret Service Prioritization Actof 2024. According to a press release issued by Biggs’ office, the legislation “implements a major recommendation from the DHS Independent Review Panel’s October 15, 2024 Report on the Assassination Attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania,” which “noted the Panel’s ‘extreme skepticism that many of the Service’s non protective (investigative) missions meaningfully contribute to the Service’s protective capability and is concerned that they may materially distract from it.’”
In a statement, Biggs said, “July 13, 2024, was a wake-up call to the failures of the Secret Service. In no world should an agency with a budget of $3+ billion and 3,200 specialized agents fail to protect the life of one of the most influential figures in the world. The failures of July 13 illustrate the necessity to strip non-protective responsibilities from the Secret Service to ensure it is focused on the execution of its primary duty.”
Biggs added, “Now that President Trump’s FBI will be shifting away from weaponization against American citizens, they will be fully equipped to take on Secret Service’s non-protective, investigative functions. It’s imperative that House Leadership move this legislation through the House to ensure that no event like July 13 is ever able to occur again.”
One of the original cosponsors of the bill, Biggs’ fellow Arizona Congressman Eli Crane, weighed in, saying, “The Secret Service should have a singular focus on protection. Many failures have been exposed over the last six months and I’m proud to join Rep. Biggs in introducing legislation that seeks to fix one of them.”
Florida Congressman Cory Mills also joined as a cosponsor of the legislation.
Congressman Biggs highlighted a key section of the DHS report, which stated, “Whatever else the Secret Service may do, its core, essential, and unique mission is to protect its protectees, including the president, vice president, and nominees for president in an election. No other federal law enforcement agency can discharge this duty. And the duty is a zero-failure mission. All assets should be allocated to that mission before any other tasks—including law enforcement responsibility for financial frauds, for example, or perhaps law enforcement duties entirely—are undertaken. There is simply no excuse to ‘do more with less’ concerning protection of national leaders; unless and until those responsibilities are fulfilled, no resources (funds or time) should be allocated to other missions that are not centrally related to the protective function.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Another potential attempt on former President Donald J. Trump’s life was met with outrage from Arizona Republicans.
On Sunday, the world received shocking news when reports hit the airwaves that gunshots had been fired at one of President Trump’s golf courses in Florida. As more details emerged, it became clear that President Trump may have escaped another assassination attempt from an individual who appeared to be hiding in wait on the outskirts of the property for the former American Commander in Chief to come into his view. A Secret Service advance agent observed this gunman’s weapon, and shots were fired in the alleged attempted assassin’s direction. The individual escaped and was later apprehended by Florida law enforcement soon after the interaction on the golf course.
President Trump was unharmed. He later issued a statement with his thoughts on the second attempt on his life in the past few months, writing, “I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – it was certainly an interesting day! Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE. THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
Many Arizona Republicans expressed their feelings about the incident on their social media platforms.
Senate President Warren Petersen said, “2nd assassination attempt of Trump! Unbelievable. Thank heaven he is ok. Suspect in custody.”
2nd assassination attempt of Trump! Unbelievable. Thank heaven he is ok. Suspect in custody.
The Republican Party of Arizona posted, “The AZGOP thanks God for the safety of President Trump and we are grateful that law enforcement spotted the assailant before anyone was hurt. We stand with President Trump and President Trump will never surrender this country and he will never abandon the American people.”
The @AZGOP thanks God for the safety of President Trump and we are grateful that law enforcement spotted the assailant before anyone was hurt.
We stand with President Trump and President Trump will never surrender this country and he will never abandon the American people.
AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda added, “We call for an IMMEDIATE increase in security to provide President Trump with the level of resources received by a sitting President. The chaos must be brought to an end, and we must ensure our leaders can serve without coming to harm.”
State Representative Leo Biasiucci stated, “This is getting Fing ridiculous. Give the man full protection, I don’t care if the GOP has to help pay for it. It’s obvious he is not being given adequate protection.”
This is getting Fing ridiculous. Give the man full protection, I don’t care if the @GOP has to help pay for it. It’s obvious he is not being given adequate protection. 🇺🇸https://t.co/AhVSuzfxY0
Justin Heap, a first-term state legislator and current Republican nominee for Maricopa County Recorder, wrote, “May God bless and protect Donald Trump. He is safe after a second assassination attempt on his life. Some things transcend political parties. Attempted assassinations are clearly one of them. Let’s come together to loudly condemn this kind of political violence.”
May God bless and protect Donald Trump.
He is safe after a second assassination attempt on his life.
Some things transcend political parties.
Attempted assassinations are clearly one of them.
Let’s come together to loudly condemn this kind of political violence.
Senator Janae Shamp said, “May God continue to keep the truest man of The People in His protective white light as he leads the fight to save the only Nation created in His name. Amen.”
May God continue to keep the truest man of The People in His protective white light as he leads the fight to save the only Nation created in His name. Amen https://t.co/zTcsDX6GgI
