Freedom Fest — an Arizona Republican Party event scheduled for Friday that was set to be headlined by former President Trump — was canceled Thursday because Trump must appear in court, the state party said.
What they’re saying: “We stand with him during this time and eagerly anticipate welcoming him back to Arizona in the near future,” the AZGOP posted on X.
- “[Trump] will be back to Arizona as soon as possible … We look forward to winning Arizona for President Trump, electing [Senate candidate] Kari Lake and working with the AZGOP to do it,” Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said in a statement to the Arizona Republic.
The intrigue: The cancellation came one day after former AZGOP chair Jeff DeWit resigned following the release of a recording in which he conveyed an offer from “very powerful people” to give Lake a job in exchange for staying out of the Senate race.
- DeWit called the audio posted Tuesday by DailyMail.com “selectively edited” and accused Lake of betraying his trust in a statement issued by the AZGOP.
What’s next: The AZGOP has a scheduled meeting Friday and can vote on a new chair if someone makes a motion to do so from the floor, the party told Axios Phoenix.
