Former President Trump backed off a prior endorsement in a hotly contested Arizona House primary on Sunday, opting to give his “complete and total” support to both candidates.
Trump previously endorsed Abe Hamadeh for the Arizona 8th District GOP primary against Blake Masters — both of whom ran unsuccessful statewide races in 2022 — but hedged his bets by throwing his weight behind Masters as well in a Truth Social post early Sunday.
Trump said there are “two spectacular America First Candidates” in the race, listing compliments for both Masters and Hamadeh.
“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,” he continued. “THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Hamadeh and Masters have become bitter rivals since once running for office together in 2022, Hamadeh for attorney general and Masters for Senate.
The July 30 primary is expected to come down to the wire between the candidates.
Trump’s shift comes after he added Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) to his ticket as the vice presidential candidate. Vance’s 2022 election was primarily bankrolled by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who was also the primary funder of Masters’s campaign.
Both Vance and Masters have close ties to Thiel, though Masters has attempted to distance himself from the mega-donor in recent days.
Trump endorsed Masters in the 2022 Senate race, which he lost to Sen. Mark Kelly (D).