Trump rips Mark Brnovich in his endorsement, and still Brnovich sucks up to him?
Opinion: Trump attacks Mark Brnovich in his endorsement of Blake Masters. And Brnovich responds by reciting what he's doing to investigate Trump's claims?
Robert Robb
I’m not sure that Donald Trump’s endorsement of Blake Masters in the Arizona GOP primary for U.S. Senate will have as much of an influence as commonly thought.
Jim Lamon has plenty of money to stay in the race and make his case. And he’s more of the prototypical Trumpian than Masters. He was one of the Trump Electoral College voters who made the phony claim to be the true, official slate for Arizona.
Politically, Masters is a bit of an odd duck. He’s part of a new right with sentiments that haven’t yet gelled into a discernible political philosophy. He’s certainly not a standard-issue small government conservative.
The Trump endorsement will shine a much brighter spotlight on him, since it will cause him to be regarded as the frontrunner. Not sure how well his political persona and new right attitude will hold up.
Where is Brnovich's self-respect?
Trump’s endorsement of Masters included a scathing dismissal of Mark Brnovich for not taking aggressive enough action as attorney general against the voting irregularities that Trump fantasizes cost him the 2020 election.
Brnovich, as usual, badly misplayed his response to the Masters endorsement and the Trump attack on him.
Brnovich’s campaign manager issued a response basically sucking up to Trump.
“Brnovich intends to fight and win this Primary Election,” it said, “and we look forward to working with President Trump to defeat Mark Kelly this fall.”
Another view:Trump's endorsement didn't doom Brnovich. He did that himself
It then recited some things Brnovich is doing to investigate the minor voting irregularities that have been unearthed. In other words, what he has done to at least partially advance Trump’s fantasy.
Dude, the guy just ripped you a new one. Have at least a modicum of self-respect.
Brnovich was never going to placate Trump or the Trump cult voters on the issue of election integrity. Making the attempt a central part of his campaign was a strategic mistake that probably doomed whatever chance he might have had.
Reach Robb at robert.robb@arizonarepublic.com.