Karrin Taylor Robson launches run for Arizona governor, touting Trump's backing
'I thank President Trump for his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him to secure our border and make Arizona safe again,' Taylor Robson said in a statement announcing her run, which made repeated mention of the president.
'Katie Hobbs has made it harder to live, work, and raise a family safely in this state,' she added, referring to the state's Democratic governor, who is up for re-election next year. 'Like President Trump, I know how to create jobs. And like President Trump, I will not rest until our border is secure and Arizona families are safe.'
Taylor Robson's press release pointed to Trump's comments at a Turning Point Action event in Arizona in December as evidence that she has Trump's backing in the race.
'Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin. Because if you do, you're gonna have my support, okay? You're going to have my support,' Trump said at the time.
Taylor Robson ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, losing the GOP primary to Trump's preferred candidate at that time, former newscaster Kari Lake.
Lake went on to lose a close race to Hobbs, after which she made unfounded claims about voter fraud. Lake then lost a Senate run by a wider margin in 2024, even as Trump carried the battleground state by 5.5 percentage points.
Although she is touting Trump's support this time around, Taylor Robson may not have the primary to herself.
Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, the former chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and a longtime vocal Trump backer, is also weighing a run.
When asked at the Capitol last month if he would be able to secure Trump's endorsement, given the president's comments about Taylor Robson, Biggs told reporters, 'That would be up to him entirely, obviously. I mean, I like to think we have a good relationship. But I think that the MAGA people in Arizona will support me. We'll find out.'
The Arizona governor's race is expected to be one of the most competitive in the country. Hobbs won her first term in 2022 by less than 1 percentage point, and Trump's 2024 win in Arizona came after narrowly losing the state in 2020.
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Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
D-Day at the White House: Starmer, Zelensky and EU leaders are to meet Trump.. but will he listen to a single word they say?
Sir Keir Starmer will join EU and Nato leaders to bolster Volodymyr Zelensky in his crunch White House meeting with Donald Trump on Monday. They will present a united front in the hope of moderating Mr Trump's treatment of the Ukrainian leader, whom he humiliated at the Oval Office in February. European ministers fear that Mr Zelensky is walking into a trap laid by Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian leader said on Sunday that the 'coalition of the willing' – the UK and other nations that have pledged to support Kyiv – held a 'useful' two-hour video conference on Sunday. He revealed that they had a 'common view on what a peace agreement should be' and insisted it did not include changing state borders by force. In a sign of EU leaders' bullishness, French president Emmanuel Macron said afterwards: 'If we're not strong today, we'll pay dearly tomorrow.' It came after Boris Johnson called on Sir Keir to lead global efforts to protect Ukraine from being carved up following Friday's 'vomit-inducing' meeting between Mr Trump and Putin. Writing in The Mail on Sunday, the former prime minister insisted that although the summit made him 'retch', it was 'justifiable and even essential'. He said it offered hope that 'one day this war will end with a peace that protects Ukrainian freedom' – but to make that happen 'the Europeans, led by Britain, will have to step up'. Sunday's meeting of Europe's heads of state came after Putin was widely regarded to have gained the upper hand at Friday's summit in Anchorage, Alaska. He was welcomed back on to the world stage from pariah status with red carpets and a ride in the US presidential limo before reportedly persuading Mr Trump to drop calls for a ceasefire 'within two hours'. Washington was also said to have agreed to the Kremlin proposition that Kyiv cede the whole Donbas region after Putin presented faked pictures that made it appear Ukrainian lines there were about to collapse. But the President hit back on Sunday, slamming 'fake news' as he described the Alaskan summit as a 'great meeting' and told the world to ' STAY TUNED' for 'BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA '. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also said the US delegation had forced Putin to accept 'robust', US backed, Nato-like security guarantees for Ukraine for the first time, which he described as 'game-changing '. Mr Zelensky has appealed to Sir Keir and other European leaders to join him for 'moral support and solidarity'. Those answering the call include Mr Macron, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Sunday's meeting of Europe's heads of state came after Putin was widely regarded to have gained the upper hand at Friday's summit in Anchorage, Alaska. He was welcomed back on to the world stage from pariah status with red carpets and a ride in the US presidential limo But the President hit back on Sunday, slamming 'fake news' as he described the Alaskan summit as a 'great meeting' and told the world to 'STAY TUNED' for 'BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA' Ahead of another dramatic day of global diplomacy over the future of Europe, No 10 said on Sunday that the PM 'stands ready to support this next phase of further talks'. Sir Keir will 'reaffirm his backing for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes', and 'the path to peace cannot be decided without president Zelensky'. Keen to keep Washington onside, Sir Keir also commended 'President Trump's efforts to end Russia's illegal war in Ukraine'. On Sunday, Mr Trump's former vice-president, Mike Pence, insisted that Putin was 'the bad guy' and should be treated as such during negotiations. He said he knew Mr Trump liked to use a 'velvet glove' style in dealing with dictators, but he added: 'The hammer needs to come and it needs to come immediately.' Mr Pence told CNN that as well as meeting Mr Zelensky, Mr Trump should call for another sanctions bill against Russia to be passed 'immediately' in the Senate. He also gave Mr Trump credit for pursuing his earlier ceasefire deal despite 'many voices in and around the administration that would have cut Ukraine loose months ago'. All eyes will be on the Oval Office on Monday where Mr Trump will try to persuade Mr Zelensky to agree to meet Putin and 'make a deal '. Sir Keir will 'reaffirm his backing for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes', and 'the path to peace cannot be decided without president Zelensky'. Keen to keep Washington onside, Sir Keir also commended 'President Trump's efforts to end Russia's illegal war in Ukraine'. Pictured: Sir Keir and Zelensky at No 10 on August 17 In a worrying development, Putin reportedly convinced Washington that Ukraine must cede the Donbas – the collective name for Donetsk and Luhansk – as a condition for peace. While Russia has taken most of Luhansk, it only holds about 75 per cent of Donetsk, which is both vital for the nation's defence and also home to many of the rare-earth minerals Putin craves. He has also taken about 74 per cent of the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. It is feared Mr Zelensky could be strong-armed by the President on Monday into accepting these terms or risk losing American support. As he attempted to sidestep Moscow's ambush, Mr Zelensky said on Sunday that the territorial issue 'should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia'. Flanked by Ms von der Leyen in Brussels, he said that 'real negotiations' must 'start where the front line is now'. He pointed out that Putin had been unable to take Donetsk 'for 12 years'. Mr Zelensky also sought to bring back calls for a ceasefire at the outset of negotiations – a subject Russia apparently succeeded in removing from the summit on Friday. He said: 'We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation.' Before going to Anchorage, Mr Trump said forcing Russia to agree to a ceasefire was his priority, but he dropped the demand 'two hours into his meeting', the New York Post reported. 'Figuratively, the President sort of threw up his hands and said, 'I'm not interested in a ceasefire any more',' a source told the paper. In exchange, Mr Trump allegedly got Putin to say: 'I will not attack a European country.' On social media on Sundayty, Mr Trump said he 'had a great meeting in Alaska' and complained that 'if I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake '. Mr Witkoff, the US special envoy who has flitted between Moscow and Washington for months to pave the way for the current talks without once visiting Kyiv, defended the Trump administration's performance on Friday. He told CNN on Sunday: 'We were able to win the following concession – that the US could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato'. Nato's Article 5 states that an armed attack on one member country would be considered an attack on all members. Mr Zelensky described the US commitment to a security guarantee as 'a historic decision' but called on it to be 'very practical' in 'delivering protection on land, in the air, and at sea'. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ideas were discussed in Alaska that 'we know the Ukrainians could be very supportive of'. But he warned it may be that 'peace is not going to be possible' Mr Witkoff added that Russia said it would make a legislative commitment not to go after any additional territory in Ukraine. He said: 'There is an important discussion with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ideas were discussed in Alaska that 'we know the Ukrainians could be very supportive of'. But he warned it may be that 'peace is not going to be possible'. Mr Zelensky said on Sunday night that if talks fail 'then new sanctions must follow', which Mr Rubio agreed with. On Sunday night, the UK and the rest of the coalition of the willing 're-emphasised the readiness to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased'.
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the Alaska summit: there must be no more gifts to Vladimir Putin
Hours after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin departed from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on Friday, Moscow officials reported that two more villages in Ukraine's east had been seized by Russian forces. It was a grimly apt postscript to a 'peace summit' that allowed a pariah leader to posture on the world stage, but signally failed to achieve the outcome that its host claimed to desire. Mr Trump had suggested that he would be 'unhappy' if a ceasefire were not agreed during discussions with Mr Putin. There would, he warned, be 'severe consequences' if his guest proved unwilling to end the war. Predictably, no ceasefire announcement was forthcoming, and the sanctions Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened, but never imposed, have been kicked into the long grass. Instead, the US president offered a crucial concession to Mr Putin, concurring that a cessation of hostilities should come only after a 'comprehensive' peace agreement. This was a betrayal of hollow assurances given to Kyiv and European allies by Mr Trump before the summit, and a gift to the Kremlin. As Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, prepares to meet the US president in Washington on Monday, he consequently finds himself in a deeply invidious position. According to reports, Mr Putin's core demand is that Ukraine surrenders all unoccupied territory in the Donbas region, in exchange for a supposedly permanent ceasefire. There are, of course, no good grounds to take the Russian president at his word. His references in Alaska to the 'root causes' of the war indicate that he remains determined to force Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit, and restrict its capacity to act as an independent state. A 'deal' on anything like those terms would amount to precisely the carve-up feared by Kyiv. Mr Zelenskyy cannot, should not and will not acquiesce. But having retreated from his threats to make life tougher for Mr Putin, the US president is returning to his default bullying stance towards Mr Zelenskyy. Asked what advice he would offer the Ukrainian leader, Mr Trump responded: 'Make a deal. Gotta make a deal.' The peremptory tone is worryingly reminiscent of February's notorious Oval Office meeting, when Mr Zelenskyy was told: 'You don't have the cards.' In vague terms, Mr Trump has alluded to a future US role in security guarantees following a deal. But as Ukraine fights for a viable future, he appears impatient to move on to doing lucrative future business with Moscow, and angling for a Nobel peace prize. Given that ominous backdrop, the presence of Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders in Washington on Monday will represent a crucial counterweight. Mr Putin will attempt to force Ukraine's negotiating hand by taking more territory in the east, where Russian forces have been advancing at the fastest rate for months. Europe must ensure that, as Kyiv battles for a just peace, Mr Zelenskyy does have enough cards to play. As well as displaying solidarity in the White House, that means upping the economic pressure and military support, and urging Mr Trump to do the same. Ukraine must remain in control of the future of its own territory, and the use of force must not be rewarded by the summary redrawing of borders. With enormous bravery and skill, and at immense cost, Ukraine has resisted an illegal invasion for more than three years. There must be no sellout. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
We've got Eur back: Euro leaders race to stand side-by-side with Zelensky as he faces Trump in DC - after US revealed Putin AGREED to allow a 'Nato-style' security agreement protecting Ukraine
European leaders are rushing to Washington to stand side-by-side with President Zelensky as he faces Donald Trump in crunch talks at the White House on Monday. The meeting comes after Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US had forced Vladimir Putin to agree a 'Nato-style' security agreement protecting Ukraine. Mr Witkoff made the comments to CNN on Sunday amid reports the Russian leader had gained the upper hand at the summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. In the bombshell interview, he said offering Ukraine 'Article 5-like protections' was the real prize and described the proposed security guarantees as 'game-changing'. 'We didn't think that we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article Five protection from the United States in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified,' Witkoff said. He added: 'We got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee.' Sir Keir Starmer is among the EU and Nato leaders travelling to the US in the hope of preventing a repeat of Zelensky's humiliation in the Oval Office in February. There are fears Zelenksy may walk into a trap laid by Putin - with Trump appearing poised to urge him to agree to a Russian land grab of his country's territory. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US has forced Vladimir Putin to agree a 'Nato-style' security agreement protecting Ukraine Russian president Vladimir Putin meets Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday Zelensky, speaking in Brussels on Sunday, has said giving up land for peace in a future agreement with Russia could be 'impossible' Putin is said to have demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk - two occupied Ukrainian regions - as a condition for ending the three-year war. Zelensky, meanwhile, has said giving up land for peace in a future agreement with Russia could be 'impossible'. Speaking in Brussels on Sunday, the Ukrainian president insisted that his country's constitution made it 'impossible to give up territory or trade land'. But he went on to say: 'Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at a trilateral meeting. 'We need real negotiations, which means we can start where the front line is now,' Zelensky said, adding that European leaders supported this. The Ukrainian leader reiterated his position that it was necessary to establish a ceasefire in order to then negotiate a final deal. 'It's important that Washington is with us,' the Ukrainian leader said. Zelensky added that Ukraine did not yet know all the demands made by Putin at the meeting with Trump on Friday. Volodymyr Zelensky faced a heated encounter when he met Donald Trump in February Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron will travel to Washington tomorrow for peace talks at the White House. European leaders are seen following a so-called 'coalition of the willing' meeting in May Meanwhile, the world is still reeling from Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska, where he rolled out the red carpet for the war-mongering tyrant. Most international commentators believe the negotiations were a win for Putin, with the media noticing he appeared energetic and satisfied by how the summit had gone. Trump, on the other hand, appeared uncharacteristically deflated and seemed disheartened that the famed deal-maker was not able to get an agreement together. But the US President has hit back at his critics. He posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday morning: 'It's incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me. 'There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. 'I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden's stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!' Only minutes later, he posted: 'If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. Your browser does not support iframes. US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they meet for talks about Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday Vladimir Putin reportedly told the US president during the Alaska summit Friday that Ukrainian frontlines in Donetsk were on the verge of collapse 'That's why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!! MAGA.' In his interview with CNN, Witkoff also discussed the issue of territory - and specifically of the five regions he described as always having been the 'crux of the deal'. Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 while the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson were annexed after referendums internationally viewed as shams in 2022. 'The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions,' Witkoff said today. He added that the Donetsk region constitutes an 'important discussion' - and one which he said will happen tomorrow. The Donbas is predominantly Russian-speaking, and after Russia snatched Crimea in 2014, its proxy forces have gained a foothold there in a long-running war. Zelensky, who has rejected Putin's demands that Kyiv withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of Donetsk that it still controls, played down the Russian advances, saying on X that his forces were 'countering' and 'increasing the pressure' on the 'occupier'. 'The Russian army continues to suffer significant losses in its attempts to secure more favourable political positions for the Russian leadership at the meeting in Alaska. 'We understand this plan and are informing our partners about the real situation,' he said. Your browser does not support iframes. A Russian tank fires during a practice session at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Friday President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed to Melsbroek Air Base near Brussels on Sunday Sir Keir Starmer is set to be joined by Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron at the talks in Washington on Monday. Other European leaders who have confirmed they will go include Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. Zelensky's Oval Office rendezvous follows a 'coalition of the willing' video call held by Western allies at 2pm on Sunday, hosted by Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Merz. Downing Street has insisted Sir Keir and other allies stand ready to support the next phase of talks to end the war. A statement from No 10 said: 'At the meeting that will take place at the White House tomorrow, the Prime Minister, with other European partners, stands ready to support this next phase of further talks and will reaffirm that his backing for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.'
