President Trump slams Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in series of tweets

PHOENIX — President Donald Trump expressed displeasure with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in a series of tweets on Monday, the same day the state certified its Nov. 3 election results.

Trump called out Ducey, a fellow Republican and longtime ally of the president, for certifying the state’s election results despite continued unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and corruption.

The president was especially frustrated Ducey signed documents that will allow Democrat Mark Kelly be sworn into the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.

“Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office, especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now,” Trump tweeted.

Trump was referencing the unofficial meeting put on by Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis on Monday in a Phoenix hotel ballroom intended to lay out claims of irregularities in the vote count in Arizona and elsewhere.

They did not provide evidence of widespread fraud.

Nine Republican state lawmakers attended the meeting. They had requested permission to hold a formal legislative hearing at the Capitol but were denied by the Republican House speaker and Senate president.

At the state certification earlier in the day, Ducey praised Arizona’s election system.

“We do elections well here in Arizona. The system is strong,” Ducey said.

Biden’ win in Arizona secured the state’s 11 electoral votes for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since 1996.

Ducey continued to defend the way Arizona handles elections in a series of tweets Monday night.

“I’ve been pretty outspoken about Arizona’s election system, and bragged about it quite a bit, including in the Oval Office. And for good reason,” Ducey said.

The two campaigned together on multiple occasions leading up to the election.

During a campaign rally in Bullhead City on Oct. 28, Trump went out of his way to praise Ducey.

“I hear we’re doing well, Doug? We’re doing good? I’m gonna be so angry at you, Doug, if we don’t get the…I’m going to call Doug, ‘Doug, how are we doing?’ Trump said during the rally.

“Well, he won by about 17 points so that’s not so bad. Thank you, Doug. Great job. Great governor.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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