Arizona Speaker Says Trump Lied That He Backed Fraud Claims

Topline

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R) testified to the January 6 committee a statement that former President Donald Trump sent out Tuesday claiming Bowers told him “the election was rigged,” was “false,” adding that Trump’s legal team repeatedly pressured him to overturn the results of the 2020 election but failed to present any evidence of fraud.

Key Facts

Trump released a statement about an hour before testimony started Tuesday, saying that Bowers had informed him “that I won Arizona” at some point in November 2020.

Bowers began his testimony by denouncing the claim, saying, “I did have a conversation with the president, but that certainly isn’t it.”

Bowers appeared to get emotional at one point in his testimony as he recalled pushing back against attempts from Trump and the former president’s legal team to get him to overturn President Joe Biden’s win in Arizona, saying he refused to break his “oath” to the Constitution, which he believes to be “divinely inspired.”

The Arizona House speaker also said former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani promised him evidence that would show that hundreds of thousands of Arizona votes were illegitimate, but Bowers never received such evidence.

Bowers said Trump legal advisor John Eastman tried to get him to decertify the election results, telling him: “Just do it, and let the courts sort it out.”

Find background about Bowers here.

Surprising Fact

Bowers testified Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) called him the morning of January 6 to ask him to sign a letter backing the decertification of Biden’s electors.

Crucial Quote

“I just thought . . . this is a tragic parody,” Bowers said of a scheme to send a fake slate of Arizona electoral votes to Washington.

Tangent

Bowers said he voted for Trump and wanted him to win the 2020 election.

Key Background

Tuesday’s hearing is focused on Trump’s effort to intimidate state officials to overturn election results. It is the fourth from the committee. Earlier hearings focused on actions of rioters on January 6, Trump’s decision to ignore advisors who told him the election wasn’t rigged and his attempt to get former Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of the election.