by Matthew Holloway | Jan 22, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The inauguration of President Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States was the most prominent over-arching news story of the day on Monday. The reactions of Arizona’s elected leaders ranged from joy, excitement, and relief to cautious rapprochement, vehement rejection, petulant accusations, and denial.
Support for Trump by Republican members of Congress and other prominent figures has been consistent in Arizona, while unexpectedly some Democrats have taken a moderate, even conciliatory stance toward the President.
Tucson-area Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani posted from within the Rotunda writing, “Honored to attend the inauguration of our 47th President — Donald J. Trump! And I look forward to working together and delivering for the American people[.] Congratulations, President Trump!”
In a subsequent ‘selfie’ with Trump, Ciscomani quoted the President’s inaugural address writing, “’In America, the impossible is what we do best.’ —President Donald J. Trump [.] Now we get to work fighting for the American Dream!”
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) posted to the social network writing, “It’s a new day in America. Our long nightmare is soon over. 4 yrs of divisiveness, failures, corruption, weakness will be replaced w/ hope, strength, prosperity & American greatness. I look forward to working w/Pres Trump 2 make the future of this great country great, once again.”
Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) told AZCentral, “As President Trump retakes office, here’s my promise: I’ll work to find common ground when it’s in Arizona’s best interest.” Stanton emphasized that he would remain loyal to the “fundamental freedoms,” of Arizonans.
District 5 Republican Andy Biggs, who announced his exploration of a gubernatorial run on Tuesday, posted “Hail to the Chief,” and told Trump, “Welcome back, Mr. President.”
Freshman Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh appeared with Trump’s Voice of America Director Designee Kari Lake in a Newsmax spot during the President’s arrival at St. John’s Episcopal Church. He shared video to X writing, “We will pass President Trump’s America First Agenda as quickly as possible.”
During the inaugural festivities, District 4 Rep. Eli Crane wrote, “We made it. Today is January 20th, and Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States. The greatest political comeback of all time. Now the real work begins. Let’s go!”
He added a short panoramic video of the Capital Rotunda’s interior in the lead up to the ceremony adding, “So thankful to all of the Arizonans that put in the work to get to this moment.”
Meanwhile Freshman Democrat Rep. Yassamin Ansari ,who took the seat of now-Senator Ruben Gallego, blew off the inauguration, eschewing it for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event in Phoenix. Posting to X, Ansari derisively noted the attendance of big tech figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, X’s Elon Musk, and Google’s Sundar Pichai: “Nothing to see here… just Donald Trump’s inauguration… front row featuring the richest men on Earth excited to get even richer at the expense of working people.”
Follow Democrat Rep. Raúl Grijalva issued a call for his fellow radical leftists to resist Trump writing, “Democrats must stand up to Trump’s worst impulses and grifting tendencies if we are to come away from this a stronger, more prosperous nation.” He also criticized Trump for his recent successful meme-coin launch, calling it a “brazen and unethical money grab.”
Sharing video of the historic moment, the AZGOP called Trump’s inauguration, “The beginning of a new era for this country!”
Pointedly, the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) opted not to mark the inauguration at all with neither a post to social media nor a press release on its website. Rather, the ADP chose to publish a post honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. almost as if in denial that the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States happened.
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 Matthew Holloway | Jan 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican Arizona Congressmen Andy Biggs (R-AZ-1), Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08), and Eli Crane (R-AZ-05) have co-sponsored the first bill by freshman lawmaker, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX-26), the REMAIN in Mexico Act. If enacted, it would cement the first-term immigration policy championed by President-elect Donald Trump. They were joined by 77 other Republicans co-sponsoring the bill.
According to Gill, the “Remain in Mexico” policy, officially known as the migrant protection protocols, was first implemented by the Trump administration in January 2019. This set of policies allowed federal authorities to return non-Mexican asylum-seeking illegal immigrants to Mexico to await immigration proceedings.
The new bill will require the Secretary of Homeland Security to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocol in accordance with 2019 Homeland Security documentation titled “Policy Guidance for Implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols.”
“President Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy was extremely successful, resulting in fewer illegal border crossings, fewer fraudulent asylum claims, and more deportations,” Gill explained in a statement. “But immediately after taking power in 2021, Democrats undid nearly all of President Trump’s border protection policies, unleashing mass chaos and destruction throughout our heartland.
Over the past four years, the Biden administration has allowed over 10 million illegal aliens to invade our country, and critics say it prioritized criminal illegal aliens over law abiding American citizens.
As a result, says Gill, “illegal aliens are murdering, raping, and pillaging American citizens.”
“This must end now,” Gill said. “The American people gave President Trump and Republicans a mandate to secure our border, and Congress must pass the REMAIN in Mexico Act as a first step to secure our border and fix the problems Democrats created in our country.”
In a statement to AZ Free News, Rep. Crane commented, “This legislation is common sense. It codifies one of President Trump’s most successful policies, which was foolishly reversed under the open-borders Biden regime.”
“It’s outrageous that some of our leaders can’t be trusted to prioritize the security of American citizens, making this legislation necessary,” continued Crane. “I’m proud to cosponsor this bill that puts America first.”
In a subsequent interview with Newsmax, Gill wrote, “The REMAIN in Mexico Act is common sense legislation that would stop the deluge of illegal aliens pouring into our country. We now have over 80 Republican co-sponsors. I hope some of my colleagues from across the aisle will join us, but we can pass this bill with or without Democrat support.”
Fellow freshman Congressman Hamadeh shared the bill to X with a similar sentiment, “I’m proud to champion this vital bill to help keep our communities safe and codify the policy that made President Trump’s America much safer than Joe Biden’s.”
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 Matthew Holloway | Jan 13, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
With his oath of office once again taken, incumbent Republican Congressman Eli Crane (AZ-02) announced he will be returning to the House Committee on Homeland Security. He will join fellow SEAL Rep. John McGuire (R-VA-05) and Congressional Freshman Class President Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX-26) on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
“I came to Washington to drain the Swamp and fight to secure our border. In the 119th Congress, I’ll be a committee member of both Oversight and Homeland Security, playing a direct role in fulfilling both of those objectives,” said Crane. “It’s an immense honor to, once again, to serve and represent the People of Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District. I will forcefully keep up the fight to put Arizonans and Americans FIRST.”
Crane’s subcommittee assignments have not been released as of this writing, however during his last term with the Homeland Security Committee he served on the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Congruent with his assignment to the Homeland Security Committee, Crane released a statement the same day after the passage of the Laken Riley Act, which as the Congressman described, “would allow state attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions such as parole, violation of detention requirements, or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens.” The bill, if signed into law, will also update federal law making it mandatory for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes, such as shoplifting, under state and local law.
“I’m pleased to report that the Laken Riley Act passed out of the House of Representatives. This bill will protect our communities and give our law enforcement agencies the resources they need to prevent avoidable tragedies,” said Rep. Eli Crane. “It’s appalling that 159 Democrats sided with criminal aliens by voting against this commonsense measure. Despite their senseless opposition, I’m glad we were once again able to get this bill across the finish line. I appreciate Rep. Mike Collins for his leadership, and I look forward to its swift passage in the U.S. Senate before heading to President Trump’s desk.”
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 | Jan 9, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Members of Arizona’s Republican delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives were key to a border-related bill passing their chamber.
In one of the first legislative actions of the 119th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act, which was introduced by U.S. Congressman Mike Collins from Georgia. All members of Arizona’s Republican delegation voted in favor of the bill, as did one Democrat, U.S. Representative Greg Stanton.
According to its congressional summary, H.R. 29, if enacted would “require the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.”
One of Arizona’s Republicans who voted for the legislation, U.S. Congressman Eli Crane, said, “I’m pleased to report that the Laken Riley Act passed out of the House of Representatives. This bill will protect our communities and give our law enforcement agencies the resources they need to prevent avoidable tragedies. It’s appalling that 159 Democrats sided with criminal aliens by voting against this commonsense measure. Despite their senseless opposition, I’m glad we were once again able to get this bill across the finish line. I appreciate Rep. Mike Collins for his leadership, and I look forward to its swift passage in the U.S. Senate before heading to President Trump’s desk.”
Crane’s press release highlighted that this bill “directly addresses one of the federal policy failures related to Laken Riley’s murder. Her murderer, Jose Ibarra, is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Policy Department. If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive.”
U.S. Congressman Abraham Hamadeh added, “While we cannot possibly remediate the pain caused at the hands of violent illegal immigrants, we must do all we are able to do to stop illegal immigrant crime before it begins and save future American lives. This should be a unanimous and non-partisan issue. I’m grateful for my colleagues who see this as such.”
U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani wrote, “Securing the southern border and protecting our citizens is a top priority in the 119th Congress! I voted for & cosponsor HR 29, the Laken Riley Act, to honor her memory and ensure bad actors here illegally are detained to prevent innocent lives from being lost to the crisis.”
The bill was named after a young woman at a Georgia nursing school who was horrifically and tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant in the United States. Late last year, the murderer was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. After the conclusion of the trial, President-elect Donald J. Trump said, “JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY! The Illegal who killed our beloved Laken Riley was just found GUILTY on all counts for his horrific crimes. Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever, hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for Justice, and to ensure that other families don’t have to go through what they have. We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!”
The Laken Riley Act now heads to the U.S. Senate, where it will need all Republicans and at least seven Democrats to support its passage in order to send it to the president’s desk for his signature. U.S. Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, co-sponsored the measure, saying, “Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
Allyson and John Phillips, Riley’s mother and stepfather, spoke out in support of the bill as it proceeded through the congressional process. They said, “The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going through the kind of heartbreak we’ve experienced. Laken would have been 23 on January 10th. There is no greater gift that could be given to her and our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely commonsense bill that will make our country and communities safer. We thank Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and Senator Ted Budd for continuing to work to honor Laken’s legacy and get this legislation enacted into law.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 4, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Democrats are targeting three incumbent congressional Republicans for defeat in the next election.
In December, House Majority PAC (HMP) released its list of initial seats around the country that it was looking to flip for the 2026 General Election. In that list, three Arizona congressional Republicans were included: David Schweikert, Eli Crane, and Juan Ciscomani.
The memo from HMP largely blamed the failure to recapture the U.S. House of Representatives on President Donald J. Trump’s greater-than-anticipated victory across the country, writing, “Unfortunately, Trump’s lead in the 2024 popular vote created incredibly tough headwinds for our candidates, and we faced a national environment that trended towards 6% more Republican than 2020. In spite of these challenges and clear disappointments, House Democrats significantly overperformed the top of the ticket and the political environment – all thanks to our quality candidates and your help.”
The HMP memo added that, “Headed into the midterms with lessons learned from 2024, HMP is today launching a 2026 Recruitment Fund – which will allow us to recruit and prepare potential candidates earlier than ever…We must ensure Democratic campaigns are set up for success – and that comes through conducting qualitative and quantitative research to develop specific messaging and strategies for individual races.”
Though Democrats poured many resources into attempts to flip seemingly vulnerable seats in Arizona, they came up short with Crane, Schweikert, and Ciscomani, who all held their own against the vaunted opposition. Schweikert and Ciscomani will always have to be wary of strong Democrat challenges to their incumbency due to the partisan makeup of their congressional districts. Both those members have proven extremely hardy to their political realities, focusing on commonsense solutions to problems and outstanding constituent services to help convince voters that they deserve another term in office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
