Former President Donald Trump canceled his planned travel to Arizona for Freedom Fest, an event held by the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP), which was also canceled despite other speakers planning to attend.
The AZGOP’s decision to cancel the event came just one day after the party’s chairman, Jeff DeWit, resigned following the release of audio in which he relayed an offer to U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake that would see her receive a well-paying job in the private sector in exchange for staying out of politics.
Jason Miller, a longtime spokesman for the Trump campaign, confirmed in a statement to the media that Trump will be in New York City for court Friday, making him “unable to make the event.” Miller promised Trump “will be back to Arizona as soon as possible,” and said the campaign looks forward “to winning Arizona for President Trump, electing Kari Lake, and working with the AZGOP to do it.”
Turning Point Action executive Tyler Bowyer, who was scheduled to speak at the event, confirmed the event was canceled after Trump could not attend in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Can confirm, I am hearing Trump isn’t at Mar-a-Lago because he has to be in New York for court,” wrote Bowyer. “They wanted to make it work but could not promise to get here in time.”
Can confirm, I am hearing Trump isn’t at Mar-a-lago because he has to be in New York for court. They wanted to make it work but could not promise to get here in time.
Hope to see another event in Arizona soon! https://t.co/7sjNePU9CA
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) January 25, 2024
In addition to Bowyer, Kari Lake, Abe Hamadeh, and Charlie Kirk were scheduled to deliver remarks alongside Trump, as were Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) and Eli Crane (R-AZ-02). An AZGOP spokesman told Arizona’s Family that refunds will be issued to those who purchased tickets.
Lake, who today confirmed she recorded the audio and explained its release was partially motivated by her daughter’s response to the recording, previously confirmed its authenticity while supporting Trump ahead of his primary victory in New Hampshire.
After DeWit resigned, Lake said it was “better late than never” and added it took her “a long time to finally realize that that kind of behavior is not kind acceptable” and Republicans “will not tolerate bribery and that kind of behavior any longer.”
In his resignation letter, DeWit claimed the conversation was friendly advice that was taken out of context and recorded without his consent. Lake called him a “delusional person.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
The GOP needs some house cleaning of its leadership.