According to The Washington Post, in late 2020, former President Donald Trump made a phone call to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, attempting to pressure him into overturning the state’s presidential election results, according to three individuals familiar with the call. Trump’s aim was to find enough fraudulent votes to overcome his narrow loss in Arizona. Two sources revealed that Trump also repeatedly urged Vice President Mike Pence to call Ducey and encourage him to find evidence supporting Trump’s claims of election fraud. Although Pence engaged in multiple conversations with Ducey regarding the election, he did not comply with Trump’s directive to pressure the governor.
These efforts by Trump to coerce Ducey into assisting him in retaining power have not been previously reported, although other attempts by Trump’s allies to pressure Arizona officials have been made public. Ducey, who disagreed with Trump regarding the election outcome, has chosen to avoid a public confrontation with the former president. In a conversation with a prominent Republican donor, Ducey described the pressure he faced after Trump’s loss. He expressed surprise that special counsel Jack Smith’s team had not questioned him about his phone calls with Trump and Pence as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
Ducey did not record the call, according to sources familiar with the matter. As a private citizen now, the former governor declined to respond to specific questions regarding his interactions with Trump and his administration. His spokesperson, Daniel Scarpinato, stated that Ducey had defended the results of Arizona’s election, certified it, and emphasized that credible complaints supported by evidence could be brought forward, but none were. Scarpinato added that the governor stands by his decision to certify the election and considers the issue to be in the past.
A spokesperson for Trump declined to address questions regarding the call with Ducey and instead issued a statement falsely claiming that the 2020 Presidential election was rigged and stolen. The spokesperson credited Trump for working to investigate and address fraud.
It remains unclear whether Ducey has been contacted by Smith’s office following his meeting with the donor. Witnesses have reported that investigators in the special counsel’s office have inquired about Trump’s calls with governors, including the conversation with Ducey. The prosecutors’ plans and how these calls fit into their investigation are uncertain. Previous subpoenas and witness statements indicate that prosecutors have also shown interest in Trump’s attempts to involve Pence in his efforts to overturn the election.
