Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail Thursday with a trip to Arizona, his first appearance in a battleground state since he was convicted in a hush money scandal. Trump is scheduled to speak at a town hall in Phoenix organized by Turning Point, a conservative youth organization that has seen its influence rise alongside Trump’s takeover of the GOP.
Quick Read
- Trump to Campaign in Arizona Post-Conviction: Donald Trump will visit Arizona on Thursday, marking his first appearance in a battleground state since being convicted in a hush money scandal.
- Event Details: Trump will speak at a town hall in Phoenix organized by Turning Point, a conservative youth group.
- Defiant Response: Following his conviction, Trump has maintained a defiant stance, addressing supportive audiences but not yet directly engaging with swing-state voters.
- Turning Point’s Influence: Led by Charlie Kirk, Turning Point has grown in influence within the GOP, particularly in Arizona, and is expanding its reach to other battleground states.
- Impact on Arizona Politics: Arizona Republicans, strongly supportive of Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election, have seen significant political shifts, including a partisan recount confirming Biden’s win and legal issues for election officials.
- State’s Electoral Significance: Biden narrowly won Arizona in 2020 by about 10,000 votes, making it a critical state for both parties in the upcoming election.
- Legal Troubles for Allies: Trump’s visit coincides with legal challenges for his allies in Arizona, including Republican state senator Jake Hoffman and former chief of staff Mark Meadows, both facing charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
- Future Campaign Plans: Trump’s western campaign tour also includes fundraisers and a rally in Nevada, another battleground state he narrowly lost in 2020.
The Associated Press has the story:
Trump will campaign in Arizona following his hush money conviction
Newslooks- PHOENIX (AP) —
Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail Thursday with a trip to Arizona, his first appearance in a battleground state since he was convicted in a hush money scandal. Trump is scheduled to speak at a town hall in Phoenix organized by Turning Point, a conservative youth organization that has seen its influence rise alongside Trump’s takeover of the GOP.
Trump responded defiantly to the verdict against him a day after a New York jury found him guilty last week of a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor. But he has not spoken directly to the swing-state voters who will decide the November election.
He is likely to find a friendly audience at Turning Point. Led by Charlie Kirk, the group has harnessed the energy of young people drawn to Trump’s Make America Great Again movement by cultivating conservative influencers and hosting glitzy events. And it’s made Kirk and his allies wealthy.
Nowhere is Turning Point’s influence greater than in Arizona, the group’s adopted home state where its loyalists have taken on prominent roles in the state GOP but have struggled to win general elections. Turning Point’s slate of conservative candidates lost in the 2022 midterms, including Kari Lake, who lost the race for governor and is now running for U.S. Senate.
The group is looking to expand its influence this year to other battleground states and got a boost when Trump ousted former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel in February. She was replaced by Trump’s hand-picked successor, his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who has spoken positively about working with Turning Point.
President Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by about 10,000 votes. It was, along with Georgia, one of two states decided by less than half a percentage point and is expected to be close again this year.
Arizona Republicans have enthusiastically embraced Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. State lawmakers commissioned an unprecedented partisan recount that confirmed his loss. Cochise County officials in southern Arizona are facing criminal charges for refusing to certify the 2022 midterm election results.
Hours before Trump is scheduled to speak, Jake Hoffman, a Republican state senator who is also a top Turning Point consultant, will be arraigned for his role in an alleged plot to overturn Trump’s loss in Arizona. Hoffman is accused of being a fake elector who signed a document falsely claiming to represent Arizona in the Electoral College.
Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, is scheduled for arraignment in the same case on Friday.
Despite the state’s importance on the presidential map, Trump has not campaigned in Arizona since 2022, when he held a rally to support his slate of midterm candidates, all of whom ended up losing.
Trump’s trip west includes several private fundraisers and a rally on Sunday in Nevada, another battleground state he lost narrowly in 2020.
