Donald Trump is making clear what type of candidates he prefers by endorsing an accused wife beater who recently made offensive comments about contraception for an Arizona county-level race.
The former president extended his endorsement Friday morning to state Sen. Sonny Borrelli, who is running for the Mohave County board of supervisors, one day after he implored Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to investigate unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in the 2020 and 2022 elections.
"Arizona State Senator Sonny Borrelli has been on the front line of fighting against corrupt elections since day one," Trump posted on Truth Social. "Sonny is a proven fighter for the People of Arizona, and a huge supporter of veterans and law enforcement. It is said that 'all politics is local,' and that is especially true at the county level where elections are run fairly or rigged."
Borrelli, who's currently the state Senate majority leader, claimed Thursday that an unnamed "cybersecurity expert" told him that data and equipment used in the two election cycles "had been altered" in a way that was "undetectable," which a spokeswoman for Mitchell said had "amused" the county attorney.
“She wondered how further investigation would allow us to find something that is undetectable,” said Jeanine L’Ecuyer, a press aide for Mitchell – a Republican who this week announced she would support Trump for re-election.
Trump won Mohave County in his last election by a 75 percent to 23.7 percent margin over Joe Biden but lost Maricopa County by 50.3 percent to 48.1 percent gap, and he and his supporters have focused on investigating baseless claims of fraud there and targeting local officials for abuse and harassment.
"Sonny served our Country for 22 years as a U.S. Marine, and served his City and State for almost 14 years," Trump posted. "He will do an AMAZING job as a county supervisor. I wholeheartedly endorse Sonny Borrelli to be the next County Supervisor for District 3 of the Mohave County Board of Supervisors!!"
Borrelli helped block a legislative priority of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs by refusing to allow a vote on codifying access to birth control as a right in Arizona, and he used offensive language with a reporter to justify his legislative tactic.
“Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin – put it between your knees,” Borrelli said. “They’re creating a controversy that doesn’t exist because nobody’s opposing — nobody has any kind of plan to ban any contraceptives."
The Lake Havasu City Republican has been hounded for years by allegations that he punched his ex-wife in an altercation witnessed by her son, who claimed he saw Borrelli strike her three times in the face with his closed fist, knocking her into a video poker machine in their living room.
The boy said his stepfather crashed through his bedroom door and ripped a phone from the wall to prevent him from calling 911, although when asked about the 2001 incident during an election campaign 15 years later he dismissed the allegations as "f*cking bullsh*t" and said the boy, who had gone on to serve in the Marine Corps, would likely agree.
Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a $300 fine rather than fight an assault charge in that case.
"I took one for the team, I handled it like a man," Borrelli said in 2016. "How many times do I have to pay for a misdemeanor?"