President Trump suffered another defeat tonight after the Republican Speaker of the Arizona House told him the legislature will not declare him the winner of the state:
As a Nevada judge finds no evidence to support Trump's claims of fraud in that state, the Republican Speaker of the Arizona House has firmly rejected Giuliani and Ellis's suggestion that the AZ legislature disregard the popular vote and declare Trump the winner of the state.
— emma brown (@emmersbrown) December 4, 2020
Speaker Rush Bowers said in a statement, “I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome of a certified election”:
"As a conservative Republican, I don’t like the results of the presidential election," said Speaker Rusty Bowers. "But I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome of a certified election."
— emma brown (@emmersbrown) December 4, 2020
Full statement here:
Statement from the Speaker addressing calls for the Arizona Legislature to overturn 2020 certified election results. #AZLeg https://t.co/S7R7IQcA3w pic.twitter.com/25Nui7wXkQ
— AZ House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) December 4, 2020
President Trump, however, still seems to be under the impression that the legislature will act in his favor:
Thank you to Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Russell Bowers – and all, for what you are doing in Arizona. A fast check of signatures will easily give us the state. Votes against have been reduced to a very small number! https://t.co/NIGpkJHyoY pic.twitter.com/gJIozjtyES
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2020
But this was a “pretty strong brush back”:
Arizona's GOP House speaker makes clear that there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud in his state and rejects calls to try to overturn the election as unlawful. Pretty strong brush back. https://t.co/LUGW7jpn9v
— Cameron Joseph (@cam_joseph) December 4, 2020
And the Speaker’s statement indicates that Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis did not make the case that the election was stolen:
RE: Giuliani and Ellis. "Even if such evidence existed, the Arizona legislature simply couldn't do what is being asked” https://t.co/omPmzBH3lw
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) December 4, 2020
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