Old President TrumpDonald Trump’s Wendy Sherman takes on the starring role as Biden’s “hard-core” negotiator for Russia. Senate must confirm Deborah Lipstadt as anti-Semitism envoy — Now the former acting defense secretary under Trump has met with the Jan. 6 committee: MORE report held its first midterm rally in Arizona on Saturday, taking the opportunity to strike President BidenJoe BidenCarville advises Democrats to ‘stop being a whiny party’ and continues to voice its unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

In an address from Florence, Arizona, Trump covered a plethora of issues including the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, foreign policy and crime.

“They’re incompetent, actually,” Trump said, referring to the Biden administration.

Trump also used the address to attack Biden’s chief medical adviser, Antoine FauciAnthony FauciPublic health expert: Biden administration must have agencies on ‘same page’ over COVID Trump slams Biden, voices unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations at first rally of 2022, who also worked with Trump during his administration.

“Biden made him the person. He is like the king. Fauci is the king,” Trump said, invoking chants of “Lock him up.” The comments come less than a week after Fauci accused the senator. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulTrump slams Biden, voices unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations at first rally of 2022 Overnight Energy & Environment – Lummis holds back Biden’s picks EPA Pictures of the Week: Voting Rights, Former Sen. Harry Reid and Snowy snow MORE (R-Ky.) of putting him in personal danger due to public attacks.

But as he discussed other topics, Trump’s voter fraud allegations and the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol played a dominant role in his speech.

Trump slammed the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, which he called “an unselected committee on policy hacks,” and denounced what he described as the inhumane treatment of those arrested during the capture of the Capitol.

“What’s happening to these people in these prisons – why aren’t they doing it with antifa and Black Lives Matter?” said Trump. “Democratic supporters celebrated their indefinite detention without trial.”

Trump was supposed to hold a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, as counter-scheduling for a planned prayer service at the Capitol to commemorate the January 6 events on their one-year anniversary. , but canceled it and said he would bring up the subject at the rally in Arizona.

The rally comes as Republicans increasingly express optimism ahead of the midterm elections in November. Arizona, in particular, will be a major battleground, with top-tier races for the Senate and governors.

“2022, though so far a total disaster for the country, is going to be a big one for the people of this state,” Trump told the crowd.

Trump has endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, but has yet to endorse the state Senate primary. A number of Republicans are participating in the contest, including state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Jim Lamon and Blake Masters, who was in attendance at the rally on Saturday. The former president said he would approve the primary “at the right time.”

Trump has made it clear that he will not endorse the governor of Arizona. Doug DuceyDoug DuceySome GOP members begin testing party loyalty to Trump Trump slams Biden, voices unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations at first Trump 2022 rally to make campaign demands center stage in Arizona MORE (R), who is pondering a possible Senate race in the state. Ducey has faced Trump’s wrath since he certified the 2020 election results in Arizona.

“Somebody said, ‘Oh, he wants to run for the Senate,'” Trump said of Ducey. “He will never get my approval.”

He warned that “weak Republicans” who do not acknowledge voter fraud or the border situation will lose the election.

Trump lost Arizona to Biden in 2020. The state’s GOP-controlled Senate ordered an audit of results in Maricopa County after the 2020 election, which found Biden won the county with a larger margin than the final certified results showed.

Trump did not say whether he would run for president again in 2024, but said “we will take over the White House” that year.

Trump concluded his speech by predicting that Republicans would win big in November, starting with Arizona.

“A big red wave is going to start right here in Arizona,” Trump said. “This is the year we take back the House, this is the year we take back the Senate and this is the year we take back America.”