‘The most dangerous man in Congress’: how Paul Gosar became a darling of the far right

Paul Gosar spoke at an 'America First' rally in Mesa, Arizona, in May 2021. Photograph: Brian Cahn/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

The Arizona Republican congressman Paul Gosar had a simple message for the crowd when he recently addressed a packed Donald Trump rally in his home state – a gathering that had focused on promoting the baseless lie that Trump had been cheated out of a second term as president.

“This is where it all began,” Gosar said in a speech before Trump came on stage. “This is where we questioned: ‘Was there fraud? Absolutely. Was it enough to overturn the election? Absolutely.’”