Donald Trump is endorsing two candidates in a close Republican primary race for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.
On Monday, Trump announced his endorsement of Blake Masters, who previously failed to win a Senate seat, after previously endorsing his rival, Abe Hamadeh. The unusual dual-endorsement comes just before the July 30 primary election.
“Both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District," Trump wrote in a post on his website, Truth Social.
Earlier this month, the Trump campaign warned Masters to stop running a deceptive ad that suggested he had Trump’s endorsement. While Trump endorsed Hamadeh in December, the former president's new running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, had endorsed Masters, a long-time friend and acolyte of billionaire investor Peter Thiel.
"Blake Masters is a very successful businessman, and an incredibly strong supporter of our Movement to Make America Great Again — He is smart and tough!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Likewise, Abe Hamadeh, a Veteran, former prosecutor, and fearless fighter for Election Integrity, has been with me all the way!"
“They will both be spectacular, and I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District — THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” the former president added.
Both Hamadeh and Masters received Trump’s endorsement in 2022 when Hamadeh ran for Arizona attorney general and Masters ran for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat. The two have since become fierce rivals, though both men are ardently pro-Trump.
Hamadeh is an adamant election denier and focused most of his 2022 campaign on false claims about the 2020 election, according to reporting from NBC News. He also claimed election fraud in his own 2022 race for attorney general, which he lost.
Masters has repeatedly attacked Hamadeh, who is Arab-American, over his race and immigration status (Hamadeh’s parents immigrated from Syria). He has also criticized Hamadeh for not having children, saying that Hamadeh has no “skin in the game.” Last week, Masters also garnered attention for a similar comment directed at presumptive Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“Political leaders should have children. Certainly they should at least be married,” he wrote on X.
Arizona’s 8th congressional district is majority Republican and the victor in the primary will most likely win in November’s elections, USA Today reported.
