by Matthew Holloway | Oct 15, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
President Donald Trump’s campaign team launched the “Latter-Day Saints for Trump” on October 8th. Five days later, they held a groundbreaking zoom call, or “virtual fireside,” that saw over 100,000 attendees register. Joined by prominent conservative Mormon figures such as TheBlaze founder Glenn Beck, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and Congressman Burgess Owens (R-UT), along with Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, the fireside chat with Trump lasted nearly two hours and was hosted by Queen Creek Town Councilman Travis Padilla.
As reported by Deseret News, the coalition, though not officially endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has brought together prominent leaders in the faith from Arizona, Idaho and Utah seeking “to uphold cherished principles of faith, family and religious liberty.”
A press release stated, “President Trump’s administration demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting religious freedoms, allowing faith-based organizations to practice their beliefs freely. This coalition aligns with the belief that religious liberty remains a cornerstone of American life and that families are central to our nation’s strength and moral foundation.”
Approximately forty-two minutes into the program, Trump was welcomed to the Zoom call in audio-only format while departing Arizona aboard Trump Force One, following whirlwind campaign rallies in Coachella, California, and Prescott Valley which caused some distortion in the audio and brief moments of signal loss.
Despite the technical challenges, Trump addressed the 100,000+ attendees for approximately eleven minutes. He opened his remarks with praise for the Latter-Day Saints community and for Congressman Biggs, citing the commonalities held between the 45th President and the Utah-based faith. “…You have the values that we have and those are the values that we want to keep And, you know, we discussed this at great length and with many others also, the Constitution is hanging by a thread, literally hanging by a thread. We cannot let that go on.”
“The family is really the foundation of a prosperous and good society, and that’s what we want There’s just so many things that we all agree to, but I want to just say hello to the many incredible members of the Latter-Day Saints community and thank you for allowing me even to speak today, and your prayers and your support have been incredible. We’ve had tremendous relationships over the years. We’ve done a lot of great work together.”
In the course of his remarks, Trump noted that, despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ aspersions that he is “running against Democracy,” he believes “the biggest threat to democracy is a lack of confidence.” He criticized the Democratic party for taking the incumbent President “out of the race in really what was a coup,” following a poor debate performance that found Trump “up by many, many points against Biden.”
Addressing the Latter-Day Saints community in particular, he told listeners, “We really have to stay united around those beliefs who believe that faith in God, that our Judaic Christian values are essential to a healthy American society. Good family, we believe in parental rights. We believe, in fact, that religious freedom is the foundation of all freedom. It is the absolute foundation of all freedom. And that we believe it is fair and equal justice under the Constitutional rule of law.”
Turning to his opponent, Trump warned, “She is not a competent person. She is not a person of faith. And she’ll do everything she can to hurt Mormons and to hurt everybody else.”
In a post to X on Monday morning, Trump continued his commentary on Harris’ competency writing, “I believe it is very important that Kamala Harris pass a test on Cognitive Stamina and Agility. Her actions have led many to believe that there could be something very wrong with her. Even 60 Minutes and CBS, in order to protect Lyin’ Kamala, illegally and unscrupulously replaced an answer she had given, which was totally ‘bonkers,’ with another answer that had nothing to do with the question asked. Also, she is slow and lethargic in answering even the easiest of questions. We just went through almost four years of that, we shouldn’t have to do it again!”
A recording of the call can be viewed here.
According to Deseret, other members of the coalition who were not on the call included: Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT); Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes; Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador; the “Diesel Brothers,” David Sparks and David Kiley; Kelly Barnett and Darin Hoover, the Utah Gold Star parents of USMC Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover; Tina Descovich, co-founder of Moms for Liberty; Doug Quezada, executive vice president of Omnis Energy; Kimberly Fletcher, president and founder of Moms for America; Utah State Rep. Karianne Lisonbee; Utah State Rep. Kera Birkeland; Utah Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard; and former U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT).
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 Daniel Stefanski | Oct 13, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As early voting starts across Arizona, Republican and Democrat nominees for President, Vice President – and their surrogates – barnstormed the state to reach voters ahead of the pivotal contest.
Several major events are taking place across Arizona as the November General Election nears.
On Tuesday, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff touched down in Arizona to rally voters for his wife, the Democrat nominee for President, Kamala Harris.
During Emhoff’s event, protestors made their views known about the Israel-Hamas War.
U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steve Scalise appeared with the Trump Campaign at a Phoenix rally to increase support for the Republican ticket.
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, stopped by the state, touching base with voters in Mesa and in Tucson.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democrat Vice-Presidential nominee, also rallied supporters in Chandler and in Tucson on Wednesday.
Walz and Emhoff joined forces on Wednesday morning at a local cafe.
Harris was in Phoenix Thursday for a highly anticipated event.
The First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, has announced plans to campaign for the Harris-Walz ticket over the weekend in the state.
Finally, Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for President of the United States, has scheduled a rally for Prescott Valley on Sunday.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Oct 10, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona State Senator is standing against an outrageous depiction of President Donald J. Trump.
Last week, Senator Janae Shamp, a Republican, issued a press release to “condemn the obscene nude statue of President Donald Trump that was hung from a crane in Las Vegas and reappeared most recently in Phoenix.”
In a statement, Shamp said, “How anyone could possibly believe this political stunt is anything more than sick and deplorable is beyond me. Many Americans have recently lost their lives or livelihoods in large areas of our country as a result of hurricane Helene. Our federal government has run out of aid money to assist them after spending nearly $1billion in FEMA funding to aid illegal immigration and the Biden-Harris open border crisis.”
Shamp added, “Hardworking families are struggling to put food on the table because of inflation. American citizens are dying every single day from consuming deadly fentanyl that’s trafficked into our country. Need I say more? We need solutions, and we need unity in this country right now, not dangerous and deplorable political theater. This ‘project’ is a shameful use of anyone’s resources and needs to end now.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Oct 5, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A new poll has President Trump with another slight lead over his Democrat opponent in the Grand Canyon State as the November General Election approaches.
Emerson College Polling recently released its latest round of swing state surveys, showing former President and current Republican candidate for Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump, with a narrow lead over Democrat candidate and current Vice President, Kamala Harris.
The poll, which was conducted September 27-28, has Trump up on Harris by three percent (50-47%). Emerson College Polling considered the responses of 920 likely Arizona voters to compose its results.
Some of the findings of the Arizona polling included the following:
- 37% of respondents approved of the job Joe Biden is doing as President, compared to 55% who disapproved.
- 40% approved of the job Katie Hobbs was doing as Arizona Governor, compared to 38%.
- Just over two percent of voters were undecided between Trump and Harris in the survey. Of those undecideds, 78% of respondents leaned toward Trump.
- Harris had a 49% favorable rating, compared to 51% unfavorable.
- Trump had a 49% favorable rating, compared to 51% unfavorable.
- The top two issues concerning voters in the survey were the economy (jobs, inflation, and taxes) and immigration.
- 53% of voters believed that Trump would be better for their personal financial situation, compared to 43% for Harris.
- 57% of respondents thought their communities were less safe than five years ago, compared to 19% who thought their neighborhoods were more safe.
- 60% of voters felt their economic situation was worse than it was five years ago, compared to 26% who felt it was better.
- 52% of respondents believed the U.S. government was spending too much on military aid for Ukraine, compared to 16% who believed there was too little American dollars for Ukraine.
Arizona’s eleven electoral votes will be critical for either candidate to win in the quest to hit 270 to win the White House.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Debbie Lesko | Oct 1, 2024 | Opinion
By Congresswoman Debbie Lesko |
Recently, Tim Walz said the quiet part out loud, declaring, “We can’t afford four more years of this.” When Walz and JD Vance face off on the debate stage this week, this is one statement they will both agree on: Americans can’t afford four more years of the Biden-Harris agenda transformed to a Harris-Walz Administration.
As we and others around us grapple with skyrocketing inflation, depleting savings accounts, soaring interest rates, and wages unable to keep pace with the financial ruins from the Biden-Harris agenda, Tim Walz is right – Americans cannot afford four more years of Democrat failed policies. We’ve heard time and time again that Kamala is from a middle-class family. However, Harris continues to be oblivious to the consequences of her failed economic policies that impact our families at the grocery store, gas stations, and electricity bills. It seems she’s the only self-identified ‘middle-class’ person who is immune to the inflation crisis that she and President Joe Biden have created.
Here are the inconvenient facts for Harris and Walz. Inflation has cost the average Arizona household nearly $27,000. Everything from energy to food has dramatically increased in price. Our electric bills are up 30%, and gas prices are up 46%. Putting food on the table is increasingly expensive as grocery prices have spiked 21% since President Donald J. Trump left office. Under Biden-Harris, nothing in our lives is immune to inflation, which is a hidden tax on every American. And for growing families, everyday baby essentials have skyrocketed, with a pack of diapers increased by 32% and baby food up by nearly 12%.
While men and women are paying more for just about everything, we are also taking home less after inflation. Families around the nation have had to take out additional lines of credit just to make ends meet. Now, nearly four years into the Biden-Harris failed economy, those credit cards are maxed out, with debt reaching a record high of $1.14 trillion. Thanks to Kamalanomics, one in five Americans’ credit cards are maxed out.
Arizonans are at their breaking point, and the 2024 Democrat ticket will only make these economic crises worse. A Harris-Walz agenda is a page out of the socialist playbook. Between their costly Soviet-style price controls and a tax on small businesses that is higher than the tax rate in China, the Democrats’ agenda puts America last.
Don’t take my word for it; it was Tim Walz himself who once said, “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.” He also told business leaders, “We’re not taxing people–we’re taxing businesses.” Walz clearly doesn’t understand basic economics. When you tax a business, they pass that cost onto consumers.
These price controls and record-high tax rates will decimate what’s left of the American economy. But it’s not just our pocketbooks that are at risk. Walz, like Kamala, is a far-left radical socialist.
Together, they are the most liberal presidential ticket in history.
Tim Walz has a long record as Minnesota Governor that shows us how he would assist Kamala Harris in their shared mission of destroying our country. At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, Tim Walz will help usher in his Electric Vehicle mandate nationwide, requiring Americans to drive unaffordable electric cars that cost on average $56,575, which is over the average yearly salary in Arizona.
Tim Walz has a history of implementing unconstitutional mandates and socialist policies. Walz mandated lockdown long after Covid-19 ended, keeping children out of schools, and promoting the vaccine for children as young as six years old. During the lockdowns, Tim Walz even created a hotline to snitch on people who defied his ‘stay at home order,’ an authoritarian move that took officers from fighting crime to making criminals out of church services, and business owners who did not strictly follow masking rules – a power trip that turned Minnesota into North Korea.
Walz is no less radical on immigration and border security. As Governor, he signed legislation to provide free taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants, and he celebrated issuing driver’s licenses and car registrations to over 81,000 illegal immigrants in his state. Going even further, Walz granted illegals access to free college tuition. It’s clear that he puts illegals above American citizens. In response to President Trump’s border wall, Tim Walz said he would invest in ladders so that unvetted illegal migrants could still come over. It’s hard to believe that this current crisis at the border could get much worse, but it definitely would under the Harris-Walz Administration!
Additionally, Walz and Harris’ radical defund-the-police ticket should concern every community in Arizona and around the country. Just a handful of years ago, Walz essentially stood by while his own cities burned down and businesses were looted and violently destroyed, and then Kamala Harris helped raise money to bail the criminals out of jail. They make quite a team in these and many more areas. Americans be warned: this is what would be heading to our Arizona cities if this weak, failed, and dangerously liberal ticket has its way.
Americans can’t afford to send the most radical socialist ticket in U.S. history to the White House. With days left until election day, we must vote for a strong economy, safety in our communities, and a secure border. To do that, we must send tested and proven leaders to the White House—Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance. Let’s make the right decision for the future of our great nation!
Congresswoman Debbie Lesko represents Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. She is currently running for Maricopa County Supervisor in District 4.