- Trump demanded former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey overturn the 2020 election in a previously unreported call.
- Ducey told a Republican donor he was under “pressure” from Trump, The Washington Post reported.
- President Joe Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.
When former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey was certifying President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, he received a call, during the ceremony, from the loser: Donald Trump.
When the two later spoke, sources familiar with the conversation told The Washington Post, the former president demanded that the Republican look into false claims of fraud that, in his view, would provide cover for overturning the election.
Ducey, who left office earlier this year because of term limits, later told a major Republican donor that he felt “pressure” to do the former president’s bidding, according to the Post. The outlet also reported that Ducey expressed surprise that he has not been asked about the call by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, who is investigating Trump’s efforts to remain in power after losing an election.
A spokesperson for Ducey noted that no officials have ever found any evidence to support Trump’s claims of massive voter fraud. He lost Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.
The former president called Ducey several times after the 2020 election, the Post reported. But he also enlisted his vice president, Mike Pence, in the lobbying campaign. Sources familiar with Pence’s calls said he did not pressure Ducey like Trump had, but urged him to report back if he found any evidence of fraud.
Trump’s demand that Ducey find enough evidence of fraud to overcome his five-digit loss is reminiscent of his efforts in Georgia, where he asked Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” him 10,000 votes.
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