Related video: Arizona GOP censures Rusty Bowers after Jan. 6 testimony
Republican Arizona state house speaker Rusty Bowers has vowed to never vote for former president Donald Trump and said “America’s tired” of him.
Mr Bowers, who drew the ire of the Arizona GOP for testifying to the Jan 6 committee, said he was unapologetic about his congressional testimony and his decision not to overturn the state election results.
“I’ll never vote for him,” he said. “But I won’t have to, because I think America’s tired. And there’s absolutely forceful, qualified, morally, defensible, and upright people. And that’s what I want. That’s what I want in my party. And that’s what I want to see.”
Explaining the hold that Mr Trump has over Republican leaders, Mr Bowers claimed those supporting the former president “rule by thuggery and intimidation”.
“So you know, they found a niche, they found a way and it’s fear, and people can use fear, demagogues like to use fear as a weapon,” he said. “And they weaponise everything, and we all know it. But that’s not leadership to me to use thuggery”.
