Shelby Busch, the Chair of Arizona’s delegation to the Republican National Convention and Vice Chair of the Republican Party in the largest county in the state, said that she would “lynch” Maricopa election official and fellow Republican Stephen Richer who stood up to Trump’s election lies.  

In response, DNC Spokesperson Cameron Niven released the following statement:

“The only thing Trump’s MAGA minions in Arizona love more than ripping away women’s rights is threatening democracy with violence. Shelby Busch’s threats are the natural conclusion to Trump’s rampant election denialism and violent rhetoric, a telling example of Arizona Republican leadership actively suggesting violence against anyone who stands up for democracy and against the lies of Donald Trump. Since 2020, Maricopa County has seen violent threats made against election officials, as election workers protect our constitution and democratic values – something Donald Trump actively attacks. Last night, Trump had three opportunities to declare to Americans that he will accept election results in 2024, and he failed every single time. Arizona voters are tired of Donald Trump’s threats to democracy and will support the only candidate in this race who is dedicated to protecting our democracy against extremists – President Biden.” 

Arizona RNC Delegation Chair and Vice Chair of the Republican Party in the largest county in the state, Shelby Busch, said she would “lynch” Stephen Richer, an election official who stood up to Trump’s election lies. 

ABC 15: “‘If Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him,’  Shelby Busch said.”

AZ Family: “A new viral video shows Shelby Busch, one of the leaders of the Maricopa County GOP, saying she’d lynch Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer.

“It’s not the first time Richer has faced threats or verbal insults from his own party. Over the past two years, Richer has received numerous death threats related to the last election.”

HuffPost: “‘At an event in March for a GOP congressional candidate, Shelby Busch, the first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, spoke about the importance of finding ‘unity’ with ‘good, Christian’ people before mentioning county recorder Stephen Richer.

“Richer is the elected official in charge of overseeing elections in the county, along with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. He has become a target for Arizona Republicans because, despite being a Republican himself, he has stood up for the integrity of elections and shot down baseless conspiracy theories about widespread fraud. (He’s also up for reelection this year.)”

The Hill: “Arizona Republican leader threatened to ‘lynch’ top county election official”

Politico: “Arizona county Republican leader threatened to ‘lynch’ election official”

Washington Post: “Arizona RNC delegation chair: ‘I would lynch’ county election official”

Donald Trump’s conspiracies helped create a dangerous environment for election workers.

Associated Press: “Increasingly normal: Guns seen outside vote-counting centers”

The Guardian: “Arizona secretary of state calls threats to election officials ‘domestic terrorism’”

Arizona Republic: “’I would lynch him’: Maricopa County Republican party vice chair threatens recorder”

It’s no wonder that Trump’s minions are attacking Maricopa County election officials – he lost there. That’s why Trump and his MAGA loyalists have repeatedly and baselessly attacked Maricopa’s democratic institutions. 

Washington Post: “Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, was central to Donald Trump’s reelection loss in 2020 — and to attempts by him and his allies to try to change the results.” 

Associated Press: “A Republican-backed review of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona’s largest county ended Friday without producing proof to support former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election.”

Wall Street Journal: “Opinion: Trump Loses Arizona—Again”

NPR: “Maricopa County leaders keep pushing back against election denialism in Arizona”

AZ Republic: “Hand count in audit affirms Biden beat Trump, as Maricopa County said in November”

This isn’t the first time an election denier from Arizona has been tapped to represent Arizona Republicans on the national stage.

NBC News: “The Arizona GOP has selected state Sen. Jake Hoffman, a ‘fake elector’ indicted last week and accused of working to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Arizona, as a national committeeman for the Republican National Committee.”

CNN: “Arizona state senator indicted in fake electors scheme and expelled state legislator are tapped for RNC positions”

“Hoffman sent a two-page letter to former Vice President Mike Pence on January 5, 2021, asking him to order that Arizona’s electors not be decided by the popular vote of the citizens, but instead by the members of the state legislature.”

Arizona Republic: “Arizona GOP picks state Sen. Jake Hoffman, indicted fake elector, for national position”

The RNC’s in-house conspiracy theorist and senior counsel Christina Bobb was also indicted for her efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

MSNBC: “RNC’s ‘election integrity’ lawyer charged in Arizona with election crimes”

Washington Post: “When conservative lawyer and media personality Christina Bobb became one of the latest members of Donald Trump’s inner circle to be charged in connection with the effort to reverse the 2020 presidential election results, it became immediately clear she would not have to give up her day job: senior counsel to the Republican National Committee’s election integrity team.”

Washington Post: “LaCivita is installing Christina Bobb — a former OAN reporter who has espoused false claims that the 2020 election was stolen — as senior counsel for election integrity.”

CNN: “[Bobb] also played a key role in the Trump campaign’s fake electors scheme after he lost the 2020 election, working closely with Trump advisers to organize the plan in seven battleground states. The scheme formed the basis of parts of Smith’s election subversion indictment against the former president, which says Trump and his allies created ‘fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding’ in Congress on January 6, 2021, and ‘disenfranchise millions of voters.’”

New York Times: “A self-described conspiracy theorist and election denier, Ms. Bobb will take on a role overseeing Republican election integrity efforts — after years of aggressively promoting false claims about the 2020 election. Her appointment reflects the ascendant role of election deniers in Republican leadership and in Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.”

Donald Trump’s MAGA takeover of the RNC has elevated extreme election deniers like Michael Whatley and Lara Trump.

New York Times: “Mr. Trump likes Mr. Whatley for one overwhelming reason, according to people who have discussed him with the former president: He is ‘a stop the steal guy,’ as one of the people described him. He endorses Mr. Trump’s false claims about mass voter fraud… Mr. Whatley has baselessly claimed that election security efforts from Republicans in North Carolina stopped Democrats from cheating.”

CNN: “Likely frontrunner for RNC chair parroted Trump’s 2020 election lies”

CNN: “RNC under Lara Trump spreads ‘massive fraud’ claims about 2020 election”

CNN: “People seeking employment at RNC asked whether they believe the 2020 election was stolen”

Trump is still pushing baseless lies about his loss by over 7 million votes in the 2020 election.

Associated Press: “[Trump] is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.”

NBC News: “Re-litigating the 2020 election, repeating false claims it was stolen and casting aspersions on the security of mail voting remain major fixtures for [Trump] on the stump… He regularly refers to the 2020 election as ‘rigged’ on his social media channels.”

Associated Press: “Trump, running for the White House for the third time, has signaled that the 2020 election will remain an integral part of his 2024 presidential bid.”

WPR: “One day before his campaign stop in Green Bay, former President Donald Trump continued to push the false claim that he won Wisconsin four years ago — despite a recount, audits and court cases showing he lost to President Joe Biden.”