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President Donald Trump announced that he would not be endorsing state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, R-Ariz., for U.S. Senate.
Trump claimed the state attorney general received “massive information on the fraud and so-called ‘irregularities'” that reportedly took place during Arizona’s 2020 presidential election. However, Trump accused Brnovich of “doing nothing” rather than going after those who committed the “election crimes.”
“Attorney General Brnovich of Arizona was given massive information on the fraud and so-called ‘irregularities’ that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election,” Trump wrote in a statement on Monday.
He continued, “Well, he did a report, and he recites some of the many horrible things that happened in that very dark period of American history but, rather than go after the people that committed these election crimes, it looks like he is just going to ‘kick the can down the road’ and stay in the middle path of non-controversy.”
Brnovich published a 12-page interim report earlier this month highlighting examples of election irregularities, including 100,000 to 200,000 ballots in Maricopa County reportedly being transported without the proper chain of custody procedures.
His report also cited “instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted” for election crimes, though he did not specifically name who would be prosecuted.
The 45th president attested that people were upset with Brnovich because he “states the problem” without doing anything to solve it because he wants to be “politically correct.” He also criticized Brnovich for the “endless” amount of time it took for him to investigate the 2020 election.
Trump concluded that “Arizona has some very good people running for election to the U.S. Senate” and that he would be making an endorsement “in the not too distant future.”
The 45th president’s statement dealt a massive blow to Brnovich, who had been vying for Trump’s endorsement since he announced his campaign. However, this is not the first time Trump has criticized Brnovich for his slow-moving investigation into the election. Before his candidacy last June, Trump declared that Brnovich needed to “step it up.”
Brnovich also initially defended the integrity of Arizona’s 2020 election results and declared Joe Biden the winner of the state’s electoral votes, despite reports of election discrepancies.
Arizona’s Senate race is expected to be one of the most competitive elections in the country. In addition to Brnovich, Republican candidates include businessman Jim Lamon, Thiel Foundation president Blake Masters, former Arizona Adjutant General Mick McGuire, and Arizona Corporation Commissioner Justin Olson.
Arizona’s primaries are scheduled to take place on Aug. 2. The winner of the Republican primaries will face off against incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly on Nov. 8.