Weeks after peddling the delusion that outgoing President Donald Trump would somehow be inaugurated for a second term despite losing the 2020 race to President-elect Joe Biden, the Arizona Republican Party is still defending Trump's frantic attempts to overturn the election's results.
Trump's latest scandal happened on a call with Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, whom the President falsely berated after Trump became the first GOP presidential candidate to lose Georgia since 1992. On the call obtained by the Washington Post, Trump repeatedly urged Raffensperger to "find" the 11,000+ votes he would need to flip the state.
Georgia officials have counted the votes no fewer than three times, with signature audits finding no evidence of fraud. The state certified its results and cast its electoral ballots, along with every other state in the Union. There are no more votes to "find."
The internet skewered Trump for his attempts to pressure Secretary Raffensperger into overturning the results of an election whose integrity has withstood unprecedented scrutiny.
But the Arizona GOP is still siding with Trump, ignoring the call's content in favor of Trump's "strong, clear voice."
President Trump sounded really good (strong, clear voice; no static) on the “recording" - he cares about #ElectionIntegrity, as all Americans do. Thank you, Mr. President!
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) January 3, 2021
Former Republican National Party Chairman Michael Steele—who left the party in protest of Trump—had a blunt response to the group's spin.
Are you all high? He tried to engage a conspiracy to violate the Constitution and the US Code by throwing out duly certified votes of citizens. https://t.co/sock9cZgUc
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) January 4, 2021
Asking if the Arizona GOP was "high," Steele went on to point out that Trump's pressure violated election laws laid out in the Constitution and in U.S. Code 20511.
People shared Steele's amazement.
You tell 'em @MichaelSteele...apparently you retained a shred of integrity after pushing the #ComplicitCorruptGOP line for years yourself! https://t.co/ewP39KouHF
— ckaiserjr (@ckaiserjr) January 4, 2021
Former RNC Chairman gets it. Most other Republicans are out of their minds. https://t.co/YxWCEhmIty
— Matthew Silvan 𓅂🏳️🌈 (@MatthewSevenOne) January 4, 2021
That line “Are you all high?"... Yes they are high AH.🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/APBma5Kdsv
— JimShae (@Opalluvs) January 4, 2021
Why are some people so blind to his corruption and selfishness? He doesn't care about any of them. He is responsible for over 352,000 American deaths. Does this not mean anything to them? https://t.co/yhODkzZSrS
— Patricia (@Patafan) January 4, 2021
The Arizona GOP's tweet was ridiculed across the internet.
did the phone write this https://t.co/pcpbFtA9Mk
— Tasneem N (@TasneemN) January 3, 2021
The Onion writes itself. https://t.co/yTAv4gBxDz
— Elizabeth C. McLaughlin, Esq. (@ECMcLaughlin) January 3, 2021
This is like when you go and see a friend's terrible play and when you speak to them afterwards you have to praise the lighting https://t.co/0JbQ8WAYUY
— James Ross (@jamesrosscomedy) January 4, 2021
Swear to God I thought this was satire. https://t.co/LLsAjUYlRu
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) January 4, 2021
This is like saying the iceberg looks really shiny—a perfect hunk of frozen water really—as the Titanic sinks in the distance. https://t.co/k5wmfieghT
— Adam Griffin (@adamj_griff) January 4, 2021
In addition to Trump becoming the first Republican to lose Arizona in over two decades, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) won over Republican incumbent Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) in the 2020 Senate race, making both Senators for Arizona Democrats.