Trump Sounds Off on Arizona Recount Result: REPUBLICANS SHOULD DEMAND A STATEWIDE HAND RECOUNT

Former President Donald Trump sounded off on Friday on the razor-thin mandatory recount in the Arizona attorney general race – the results of which were revealed on Thursday by a state judge.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Thomason reported that Democrat Kris Mayes maintained her slim lead over pro-Trump, Republican candidate Abe Hamadeh who lost the race by only 280 votes, down from an initial loss of roughly 500 of the 2.5 million votes cast.

Trump released a statement after the recount and urged Republicans to call for another statewide recount:

Abe Hamadeh, a very accomplished legal mind who served our country in the Army, gained more than 400 votes in a small portion of the recount (more than half the deficit) for Arizona AG, proving there was massive inconsistencies with how the votes were counted. REPUBLICANS SHOULD DEMAND A STATEWIDE HAND RECOUNT AND ABE WILL WIN! That is the only way forward. Arizona voters are being disenfranchised—They deserve a REAL election!

Trump joined a slew of right-leaning and far-right figures in promoting allegations that the 2022 election in Arizona was fraudulent. Last week, GOP-appointed Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson rejected a court challenge by GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, affirming the election result in the state and declaring “the court did not find clear and convincing evidence that misconduct was committed in any of Lake’s accusations.”

Lake, meanwhile, continues to push allegations the election was stolen and recently told radio host Larry Elder that Hamadeh won his election against “complete lunatic lefty” Mayes.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also weighed in on the recount result and wondered aloud what could have changed:

The recount in the Arizona AG’s race cut the Democrat’s lead by nearly half – from 511 to 280 votes. What’s the explanation for why these votes were missed at first? That discrepancy is shocking, especially since a recount just puts the ballots through the machines again.

“This is one of the closest statewide races in AZ history, and we continue to support @AbrahamHamadeh to make sure every legal vote is counted,” McDaniel concluded.

The 2022 midterms saw multiple razor-thin election results, particularly out west, including for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) who narrowly defeated her Democrat opponent by some 500 votes in a heavily GOP-leaning district.