Former President Donald Trump appeared stunned when his endorsement of an Arizona congressional hopeful drew boos from his crowd at a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, Friday.
Trump held the rally to boost his preferred candidates ahead of the Aug. 2 primary, but his recent endorsement of Eli Crane for the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which he announced Friday, did not go over well with the crowd.
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“A highly respected man just endorsed by me today. Future congressman for the 2nd District, Eli Crane,” Trump said.
A thunderous chorus of boos swept the crowd in response. Taken aback and seemingly bewildered, Trump paused and then asked, “But you like me?”
Shrugging the backlash off, Trump continued with his speech, saying that the Aug. 2 primary is fast approaching and that early voting is already underway.
Crane is a former Navy SEAL who has said he would like to tackle election integrity issues if elected to Congress. He is facing off against a crowded field of Republicans who are seeking the party’s nod to challenge incumbent Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) in the fall.
Following Trump’s endorsement, Crane took to Twitter to express his gratitude.
Trump had been using the rally to stump for his MAGA acolytes such as gubernatorial contender Kari Lake, Senate contender Blake Masters, and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem, among others. Arizona, a once ruby-red state that appears to have turned purple in recent cycles, will serve as another test case for Trump’s lingering clout within the GOP.
Other heavyweight Republicans have thrown their weight behind a rival of Lake for governor, including Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) and his former Vice President Mike Pence, who attended a dueling event Friday in support of Karrin Taylor Robson for state governor.
Lake is controversial among some Republican circles for several reasons, including her insistence that election malfeasance deprived Trump of victory in 2020.
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During the rally, Trump notably teased a 2024 run. The event had initially been postponed from last week to this past Friday due to the death of Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump. The former president attended a funeral service for her earlier in the week.
