https://www.axios.com/trump-election-deniers-arizona-rally-9f34e5bc-17cc-49cf-8b2a-faee5b99cc2d.html
Former President Donald Trump announced guest speakers today for his Saturday rally in Arizona, and most of them share a common trait: they led efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Why this matters: Trump, who remains the most powerful figure in the Republican Party, is making his false claims about the 2020 election the centerpiece of the GOP platform.
Between the lines: Trump has made clear to all who seek his endorsement that if they want his blessing, they need to make overturning the 2020 election as much of a priority as subverting future elections.
The details: The guest list for Trump’s Arizona rally is a who’s who of election deniers.
- The headliner, Kari Lake, who Trump endorsed for Arizona’s gubernatorial race, told OAN she wouldn’t have certified Biden as the victor if she’d been governor.
- State Rep. Mark Finchem, Trump’s endorsed candidate to oversee Arizona’s elections as Secretary of State, not only denies the 2020 election result but attended “Stop the Steal” rallies in January.
- Arizona Reps. Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and Debbie Lesko all voted on Jan. 6 to object to the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
- Kelli Ward, chair of Arizona’s Republican Party, pushed the false conspiracy theory that foreign powers manipulated Dominion voting machines to secure Biden’s election victory.
- Boris Epshteyn, who co-hosts Steve Bannon’s podcast, uses his platform to promote Trump’s claims about a stolen election.
- And Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, is arguably even more committed than Trump is to overturning the 2020 election. He says he has spent $25 million so far on his campaign to undermine and subvert the election.
- The one outlier in the speaking line-up is Alveda King, who is Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece. She is an outspoken Trump supporter, but unlike the other speakers, has not made it her mission to overturn the 2020 election.
The big picture: Trump is also working to install Republicans in election administration positions who could be well-positioned to overturn future elections.
- And he is methodically driving out and destroying all Republicans who say President Biden legitimately won the 2020 election.
What we’re seeing: To enforce party-wide obedience, Trump is jumping on anyone who contradicts his claims about election fraud. He punishes even the smallest of deviations.
- On Sunday, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that after investigating the 2020 election they found no evidence of fraud that “would have changed the vote outcome in a single state.”
- On Monday, Trump sent out an email statement blasting Rounds as “woke” and a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) and promising to never again endorse him.
- These attacks come at a high cost. Republicans who’ve contradicted Trump on the 2020 election — from the highest-profile like Liz Cheney down to obscure state officials — have been inundated with threats to themselves and their families from angry Trump supporters.
The bottom line: Trump’s goal, his advisers say, is to either make life so miserable for them that they quit or end their careers by backing a successful primary challenge.
- Trump’s efforts are working. His few remaining opponents in the party are mostly either quitting out of exhaustion or choosing to keep their dissent to themselves.
Scottie's Playtime 
This man is so totally full of egotistical genes that he simply can’t help himself. This latest fiasco to “elevate” his supporters, plus his total bent on retribution to ANYONE that defies him, is the ONLY reason he wants to return to the White House. He has absolutely NO interest -OR- ability to run this country.
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Hello Nan. He has no idea what it means to govern or even manage a company. Notice none of his companies are public, they are all owned by him with complete control his even when he was in the WH claiming that his sons were running the companies. It is all about power and his feelings. He has gotten away with it all his life which is extremely frustrating to us who live in reality. I am seeing this out right denial of facts on the right wing media cartoons / memes. Just spouting made up facts or repeating something Fox made up claiming it is verified news. For example vaccines have killed more people than covid, Bob Sacket died from the booster shot, always tRump was the greatest president who won the election and was forced out of the white house by the military siding with the Dem’s. My favorite the Jan 6th was mostly peaceful except for the Antifa FBI people who acted like tRump supporters and insurrected to make sure the Democrats got more power and put Biden in office. Really. Nothing changes their minds, when I suggest the watch the videos I get told there are plenty of videos showing these people admitting what they did to stop tRump’s winning the presidency. One guy told me to go look at the videos of Antifa BLM burning at least 12 if not more cities down and looting so badly that tRump was begged by the Democrats to save them by sending in the national guard / military. None of that is true of course but Tucker Carlson says it happened so it is true, right. I am at a loss to how to deal with them now. Stating facts doesn’t move then, their feelings mean more than even videos, reason, or cited sources. Their feelings like tRump’s that he feels he won so he did, are now the standard of reality for these people. And they are not a small group, there are a lot of them and the Republicans promote them, talk to them, work them up, just like that NPR video. Thanks for sending it, I have seen it, and was not sure to post it as so many of our viewers know the truth. But later I will. Off to do the roundup. Scottie
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First, I hope you’re feeling better!
Secondly, it pains me greatly to say that I happen to live with someone who is often swayed by “what he hears.” Of course, he’s always leaned Republican so that plays a role, but when I hear him repeat some of the crap that’s out there, I just cringe.
I don’t care at all for our VP, but last night the news gave her recent speech a bit of time. I won’t elaborate on what happened, but it was NOT pleasant.
This is one of the traits that seems to be VERY common among the “other side.” They can’t just disagree … they have to insult, degrade, accuse, and scream (or write) obscenities. I just don’t get it.
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Hello Nan. Sorry you had to be the recipient of that. Your last paragraph says it all, I agree and I also don’t understand. I really want to engage with these people in honest dialogue, but to have a civil conversation takes everyone involved wanting to have one and having a shared reality. If someone makes a claim that is simply wrong, provably wrong, and won’t accept that it is wrong, where can anyone start a conversation? It has been coming for a while before tRump Fox hosts made insulting, mocking, lying about those they disagree with acceptable. tRump took it further by lowering the discourse to a childlike level and added the school yard bully MO. I think this is the second generation of adults acting this way and teaching their kids it is OK. Looking at what the maga adults are doing / saying at school board meetings really is an eye opener and you know they are teaching their kids to act that way. As for feeling better, not yet. Good news is my blood sugar was down this morning from 400 to 214. Then it jumped up and stayed high but not as high as yesterday. Right now I am battling fatigue and foggy brains to get things done. But the fact that it went down overnight is good news. I have to just stay away from any sweets and as much carbs as possible for a few more days and hope the medications start to work again. I really just want to go lay down, but only got about 1/4 of the roundup done. Scottie
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