by Matthew Holloway | Aug 20, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
President Donald J. Trump will be visiting Arizona on Friday according to an announcement from Turning Point Action. Trump will be visiting the border with Mexico on Thursday and holding a rally at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale on Friday. After Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz tread water in Chicago at the DNC with radical leftists breaking down barricades, their opponent, resurgent in the polls, will be touching down in the Arizona battleground and playing to a 20,000 seat arena.
Turning Point Action touted the visit on their website writing, “In his first scheduled rally following the conclusion of the DNC in Chicago; the rally will provide President Trump, Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action speakers their first opportunity to react to updates and news from the convention, as well as take direct aim at Kamala Harris’ economic proposals that have been widely-criticized by mainstream, and even left-leaning news media as ‘communist’ policies that have ‘failed’ in the Soviet Union, Venezuela, and Argentina.
Harris and Walz rallied in the same arena on August 9. Doubtlessly both campaigns will seek to compare audience sizes and enthusiasm. The Harris event allegedly drew a crowd of 15,000 or 75% occupancy according to the outlet. Based on a study from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the event on Friday will be telling with a unique opportunity for an apples to apples comparison. On average in 2024, Trump events have drawn about 5,000 attendees cross 28 rallies so far. Biden, before dropping out, only drew about 1,300 average across the four rallies he held. Meanwhile Harris and Walz have capitalized on post-Biden enthusiasm and played exclusively to larger venues with an average across the six venues so far of about 13,400 attendees.
Trump last played in Arizona to a packed house at the Phoenix Dream City Church, and the 3,000 seat venue was easily overwhelmed by the response. Trump’s rallies routinely have crowd responses that pack houses and overrun venue capacities.
The Trump campaign said in a press release,
“President Donald Trump and JD Vance are heartbroken to see the path of death and destruction left behind by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Hard-working Arizona families are paying a steep price for Kamala’s dangerously liberal agenda that is devastating American cities with skyrocketing costs and crime ridden streets.
Kamala’s open border policies are fueling a drug crisis in the state. In Maricopa County, more than three people die every day on average due to fentanyl. Over half of the total fentanyl pills entering the country originate from the Arizona border. Fentanyl has overtaken meth as the deadliest drug in Arizona. Enough Fentanyl was seized last year to kill every Arizonan 14 times over.
President Donald Trump and JD Vance will fight to ease the financial pressures placed on households and re-establish law and order in Arizona! We can Make America Great Again by tackling lawlessness head-on, ceasing the endless flow of illegal immigrants across our southern border, and reversing the detrimental effects of inflation by restoring people’s wealth.“
Republican Senate nominee Kari Lake is expected to speak at the rally as well according to her post to X on Monday.
Since President Joe Biden stood down from the 2024 election, Arizona’s battleground status was entrenched with Harris enjoying a bump from 2 to 5 percent in polls according to RealClearPolling. However, in the past two weeks the race has narrowed to within a single percentage point per the RCP average. Prior to Biden’s withdrawal, Trump enjoyed a firm 5-6 point advantage over the former Democrat incumbent that only grew as concerns over Biden’s viability grew.
In Glendale the event’s doors are set to open at 11:00 a.m. and President Trump is expected to deliver his remarks at 4:00 p.m., although other speakers will be presenting starting at 2 p.m.
General admission tickets are available on DonaldJTrump.com.
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 | Jul 27, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressmen Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) have introduced a House Resolution demanding that the United States Secret Service surrender all documents, records, and communications regarding the July 13th Trump Rally in Butler, PA to Congress. The move came shortly after Crane’s visit to the venue, where the attempted assassination of President Trump occurred, with the House Homeland Security Committee led by Chairman Mark Green (R-TN).
As reported by AZ Free News, Rep. Crane shared his professional assessment of the attempted assassin’s sniper position in a potent testimony given his service as a Navy SEAL Sniper. According to a press release from Crane’s Congressional Office, the resolution, if adopted, will require Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to surrender all of the applicable records and documents within 7 days of the resolution’s passage.
“Yesterday, I visited the site of the attempted assassination against President Trump, including the roof where the shooter was positioned. As a former Navy SEAL sniper, it was clear to me that many security measures were completely dropped making President Trump extremely vulnerable,” Rep. Crane said in a statement.
“There’s no excuse for this grave failure. Accountability must be inescapable for those responsible. With today’s resignation of Secret Service Director Cheatle, we must continue to push aggressively for continued accountability.”
“After yesterday’s hearing with Secret Service Director Cheatle, during which the House Oversight Committee received no substantive answers, it is crucial for Congress to step in and conduct oversight over Secret Service’s failures on July 13th. House Leadership must quickly bring Rep. Crane’s legislation to the Floor to force Mayorkas’s DHS to comply with our ongoing investigation.”
In a joint-statement Reps. Crane and Biggs said, “The security failures that allowed an assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life are shocking.” They added, “In response to bipartisan demands for answers, we are announcing a House Task Force made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats to thoroughly investigate the matter. The task force will be empowered with subpoena authority and will move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability, and make certain such failures never happen again.”
By the time the resolution was introduced, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle had already resigned from her role following hours of bipartisan questioning and condemnation from the House Oversight Committee. Monday’s proceedings saw members of both parties such as Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (R-TN) demand Cheatle step down with Khanna referencing the resignation of Director H. Stuart Knight eight months after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.
“I just don’t think this is partisan,” Khanna said. “If you have an assassination attempt on a president, a former president, or a candidate, you need to resign.”
Mace asked Cheatle if the beleaguered Director would like to use her last five minutes of questions to draft a resignation letter, to which Cheatle replied, “No, thank you.”
Biggs posted to X, “Cheatle’s resignation does not conclude our investigation. House Leadership must quickly bring our resolution to the Floor.”
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 | Jul 17, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
In what might be considered one of the most remarkable presidential conventions in modern American history, the Trump campaign is leaning on the stories of everyday Arizonans to make the case for former President Donald J. Trump’s return to the White House.
According to the 2024 Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements, three Arizonans were selected to speak in the leadup to former President Donald J. Trump’s historic coronation as the next Republican nominee for President of the United States of America. These three are considered “everyday Americans,” who “have faced immense hardship and are worse off under the Biden-Harris administration.” This convention means to “provide a platform and voice for the workers, veterans, and families left behind in Joe Biden’s America.”
The first Arizonan featured in the list released late last week was Jim Chilton. Chilton’s bio in the program is as follows: “Jim is a fifth-generation rancher from Arivaca, Arizona. His family has been in the cattle business for nearly 140 years. His ranch extends to the US-Mexico border and is located in a top corridor of drug smuggling and human trafficking. Jim’s concerns and issues with the border are shared by other ranchers in the Tucson Sector, regardless of whether their ranches also touch the border.”
The second Arizonans featured in the list was David Lara. Lara’s bio in the program is as follows: “David is the owner of Desert Water, a water purification business serving Yuma County, Arizona. As a community leader and activist, David takes the future of Arizona seriously; David serves on the Yuma Union High School District #70 school board, among other volunteer roles. David is a firsthand witness to the negative impacts of illegal immigration overrunning and overburdening his community.”
The final Arizonan featured in the list was Sara Workman. Workman’s bio in the program is as follows: “Sara is a single mother who moved from California to Arizona to provide a better life for her son. Although she still struggles to make ends meet in Joe Biden’s economy despite working a second job at the expense of precious time with her son, Sara maintains her faith in God and God’s plan for her and her family. Sara is a passionate supporter of President Trump and his vision to ensure a better future for her son.”
Donald J. Trump for President 2024 Senior Advisors Susie Wiles & Chris LaCivita said, “From the beginning of President Donald J. Trump’s campaign to Make America Great Again, we’ve received an outpouring of support from everyday Americans who are ready to turn the page on the last four years of failure, disaster, and embarrassment at home and abroad. The 2024 Republican National Convention will showcase President Trump’s vision to turn our country around and launch our America First movement to victory come November.”
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chairman Lara Trump added, “The 2024 Republican National Convention will undoubtedly continue to build the energy and momentum necessary to drive President Donald J. Trump to victory this fall. It’s no coincidence the Convention will lay out President Trump’s vision to restore America in Wisconsin – ground-zero on the road back to the White House.”
Arizona’s eleven Electoral College votes are closely contested and are vital for securing the presidency. Trump previously won Arizona on his way to the 2016 win over Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton. He narrowly finished behind Joe Biden in the Grand Canyon State in the 2020 contest.
The daily theme for Monday at the convention was “Make America Wealthy Once Again.” For Tuesday, “Make America Safe Once Again.” For Wednesday, “Make America Strong Once Again.” And for Thursday, “Make America Great Once Again.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 16, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Monday, former President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, at 39 years of age, will be his running mate. Vance would become the youngest Vice President in over a century if he is sworn in as the 50th person to hold the second-highest office in the United States.
(For anyone keeping score Vice President John C. Breckenridge was sworn in at age 36 under President James Buchanan in 1821.)
In President Trump’s announcement, he explained that he made the contentious decision, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others.” Indeed fellow Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgam, and even former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy were in consideration.
But Trump continued, “I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country.” As Trump alluded, to it was Vance’s nationwide bestselling memoir later adapted for film, “Hillbilly Elegy,” that propelled him to national prominence.
He added, “J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.”
The move came as a surprise to many recalling Vance’s vocal opposition to Trump in 2016, although his gradual pivot from a harsh critic to a stalwart ally has been extremely well documented. In an interview with Fox News in June, Vance told Brett Baier, “Look, I was wrong about Donald Trump. I didn’t think he was going to be a good president. He was a great president, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”
During a Trump Townhall in Phoenix last month, as reported by the New York Post, Vance seemed to deflect questions on his potential selection. He told reporters, “First of all, I’m thankful it’s not my decision because I think that Trump has a lot of different things that he’s weighing, and he’s the guy who’s gonna make the decision. My view is the most important thing is you need somebody who’s gonna help govern.”
Laughing with reporters in footage captured by AZ Free News, he was asked if he had any information on Trump’s choice, and he joked, “Yeah, sure. But I’m not going to tell you guys!“ He then quipped, “Any other questions about this event or about Arizona because I think I’m exhausted by the VP conversation and I’ve been here five minutes.”
Despite his initial disagreement with Trump’s policies in 2016, Vance has, for the last three years, been seen as one of the President’s most ardent defenders and allies in the Senate, spearheading efforts to prevent a renewed mask mandate on airlines, as well as efforts to block politically driven appointments to the Biden DOJ in light of the ongoing utilization of that department’s assets to pursue the political prosecution of Trump.
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 | Jul 3, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Another poll shows former President Donald J. Trump with a growing lead in Arizona for the 2024 General Election rematch with President Joseph R. Biden.
Last week, a P2 Insights poll revealed that Trump led Biden by eleven percent (47-36) in a June 2024 survey. The poll was conducted between June 11-20 with likely voters in the all-important swing state.
The firm conducted a similar poll in May, which had Trump leading Biden by only three percent (41-38).
According to the numbers produced by this report, Trump is winning 87% of his 2020 Arizona voters, while only losing one percent of voters who cast their ballots for him in the most recent presidential contest. Meanwhile, Biden is only winning 81% of his 2020 Arizona voters, while losing six percent of his former ballot box supporters to his Republican opponent.
The memo from P2 Insights Partner, Ryan Tyson, states that “around 60% of swing state voters across all states agree that Joe Biden is too old to be an effective president and that he can’t handle four more years in the White House.” Tyson added that “Trump’s greatest advantage in this race remains that he is more trusted to handle the economy than Biden, [and that] positive perception of Trump’s economy outperforms his baseline image by roughly 10 percentage points in every swing state.” In June, Trump leads Biden by 22% (59-37) among Arizona voters who agreed that “the economy was better under Trump than Biden” compared to ten percent in May (52-42).
This new poll on the current state of the 2024 presidential race in Arizona came just before the first debate between Trump and Biden last Thursday night. In his conclusion for his latest polling memo, Tyson opined that “Joe Biden is in desperate need of a moment in Thursday night’s debate to turn his campaign around.” With Biden’s debate performance receiving harsh marks from nearly all sides following the event, it may be safe to surmise that the Democrat president may have lost even more ground in a swing state like Arizona per the analysis from Tyson’s survey.
In the Real Clear Polling average, Trump leads Biden by 5.8% in the Grand Canyon State. At this point in the 2020 campaign, Biden led Trump in Arizona by a 5% average, and Clinton led Trump by an average of .5% in 2016. In 2020, Biden went on to narrowly edge Trump by .3% in Arizona, and Trump defeated Clinton by 3.5% in the state for the 2016 contest.
Arizona’s eleven electoral college votes will be critical to securing the presidency. Both Republicans and Democrats realize the importance of this state and those votes and are deploying a massive number of resources for this race and many others that will determine the political future for the southwestern state.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
