On Thursday, the Arizona Republican was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
If you think the timing is random, it’s not.
And cherry on top for Gosar? Trump’s endorsement.
“Thank you President Trump for this honor,” Gosar tweeted shortly after Trump endorsed him. “I’m humbled to have your support and the support of the American people. Our fight to make this country great again is harder than ever with the Administration. right now. Together we will save America.”
(The tweet was pinned to the top of Gosar’s Twitter page because of course it was.)
Just in case you happen to think Trump endorsing Gosar is anything but the former president’s attempt to put all of his weight behind the Arizona Republican tactics – and dive directly into it. controversy it has caused – ask yourself this: Why would Trump endorse Gosar now?
The Arizona primaries run until August 2022, and no serious buzz has been made about an internal challenge to the incumbent anyway. Gosar represents one of the reddest counties in the state – Trump raised district 4 by 27 points in 2020 – and Gosar won the election with 70% of the vote that year.
This move by Trump – and the timing of it – serves only to support his only consistent goal: owning libertarians. Trump loves anyone who drives libertarians crazy – even, as was the case with Gosar, when the actions that person takes are clearly outside the bounds of acceptable behavior.
For Gosar, this week couldn’t have ended any better. An endorsement from Trump means a large amount of money into his campaign account from the army of low-dollar donors who are completely loyal to the former president. And it includes the possibility of any trouble from within his own party before 2022.
This is how the Republican twisted incentive structure works today. Do something outrageous. Emphasize that the controversial results are the result of people who restrict free speech and obsess over “waking up”. Gain political rewards.
