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Is Arizona an ‘emerging problem’ for Donald Trump? He could return to the state soon

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Is Arizona an ‘emerging problem’ for Donald Trump? He could return to the state soon


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Arizona used to be a near-foregone conclusion for Donald Trump. Now it’s an “emerging problem,” according to one longtime political observer. 

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Vice President Kamala Harris is rising in battleground state polls and drew thousands to a political rally in Glendale last week, establishing herself as a more formidable Trump opponent than President Joe Biden was.

Now, Republicans wonder whether Trump has been present in Arizona enough and say he is losing ground to Democrats.

“They’re on their back foot,” said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime GOP strategist who left the party during the Trump era. “Arizona clearly is an emerging problem for him.”

Trump could address some of those criticisms in person as soon as next week. The former president is weighing a trip to Arizona’s southern border in Cochise County, where the U.S.-Mexico border runs for 84 miles. The region is home to two ports of entry: Douglas and Naco. 

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Sierra Vista Mayor Clea McCaa and Sierra Vista police Chief Chris Hiser will be present for Trump’s visit, a city spokesperson said on Wednesday. It is not clear what day Trump might visit the county, and the former president’s campaign declined to answer questions about his travel plans. 

Arizona is a top campaign destination for presidential candidates because it is among a handful of states that could decide the outcome of the 2024 election. Trump lost here by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2020, the smallest margin of any state on the electoral map. It was the first time a Democratic presidential candidate had won in Arizona since 1996 and only the second time since 1948. 

Democrats had all but given up on Arizona’s presidential prospects at the beginning of the summer, but the well-choreographed swap at the top of the ticket has injected new enthusiasm in the party.

Harris held smaller Arizona events during her tenure as vice president but drew a crowd of 15,000 to Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale last week for her first Arizona appearance as the Democratic nominee. Trump addressed some 4,000 people at a rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix in June. 

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The nonpartisan Cook Political Report just changed its Arizona presidential election forecast from “lean Republican” to “toss-up,” and a survey from Coughlin’s polling firm HighGround found Harris narrowly leading Trump in Arizona 44% to 42% among likely voters. (The HighGround survey was conducted July 30-Aug. 5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.38 percentage points).

“I didn’t think Democrats thought they could win out here,” Coughlin said. “Now they’re like, oh … we might be able to win this thing.” 

The Trump campaign has put more resources into Arizona lately, dispatching vice-presidential nominee JD Vance for a rally and border tour in Cochise County, the same region Trump is considering visiting.

Trump and his allies are also pouring millions into TV ad buys to attack Harris on immigration and the economy. MAGA Inc. just announced a $100 million TV ad buy across the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, POLITICO reported.

“It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes, just how bad the policies of the Kamala Harris administration have been when it comes to the southern border,” Vance said during his trip to the border wall, making sure to attack Harris on one of her most vulnerable issues. 

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Trump has veered off track with his messaging, though, according to one of his Arizona backers. Trump “never stops speaking” and should stick to a campaign message that can broaden his coalition, said Arizona Republican Alberto Gutier, who served as a Trump elector in 2016.

“Trump can still win it, but he’s gonna have to solidify what’s left of the party,” Gutier said, pointing to struggles Arizona Republicans have faced in recent years. The GOP lost three Senate races, the Governor’s Office, the Secretary of State’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office during the Trump era. 

For its part, the Trump campaign said his momentum is growing and attacked Harris on the economy and the border.

“Everything — from rent, groceries to gas — is far more expensive under Kamala Harris. Under her failed leadership, Arizona families have experienced record high prices and an unruly border crisis; our communities have been less safe, and deadly drugs are killing our youth. President Trump offers Arizona voters hope through his agenda to make Arizona safe and affordable again,” Trump campaign spokesperson Halee Dobbins said in a written statement.

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“The momentum is only growing for Trump ahead of November as voters grow sick and tired of Harris’ lies and unlivable policies; Arizona won’t buy her gaslighting this fall.”But Gutier said he’s worried that Harris appeals to a noteworthy voting group that could help sway the election result. 

“Here in Arizona, young people, a lot of people who have not been involved in politics, see her as a savior,” Gutier said. “Good luck, America.”

Still, Trump just got a boost from a top Arizona Republican whom he butted heads with in the past. Former GOP Gov. Doug Ducey endorsed Trump on Tuesday, putting his “differences aside” to back the former president who once said Ducey was betraying Arizona by certifying the 2020 election results. 

“Differences aside, there is too much on the line and only a Republican in the White House and a majority in the House and US Senate can ensure it,” Ducey said, throwing his support behind Trump and GOP Senate nominee Kari Lake. 

No charges: Why Arizona Attorney General Mayes didn’t want to indict Trump in fake elector case

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He also received praise from the Arizona Republican Party chair for taking questions from billionaire Trump booster Elon Musk during a lengthy livestream on Musk’s social media site. Harris has taken few questions from reporters since she became her party’s nominee.

“The conversation between President Trump and Elon Musk on X Spaces again demonstrated President Trump’s commitment to transparency and direct engagement with the American people,” Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda said in a written statement. “In stark contrast, Kamala Harris has been noticeably absent from the media for over three weeks.” 

When it comes to campaigning offline, Trump has a lighter footprint than the Harris operation in Arizona. The Trump campaign has eight offices here, compared with Harris’ 12, though it says it has plans to open more ahead of the election. Trump offices are in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Casa Grande, Sun City, Chandler, Mesa, Tucson and Kingman. The campaign also holds “Super Saturday” training sessions for volunteers around the state. 

“The Harris-Walz campaign has seen a surge of momentum as voters are responding to Vice President Harris’ fight to bring down costs, secure the border, and make sure Arizona families don’t just get by but get ahead,” Harris spokesperson Jacques Petit said in a written statement.

“Meanwhile Donald Trump and JD Vance have almost no presence in the state and are running on a toxic Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion in Arizona and slash Medicare and Social Security, which is why Republicans, Democrats and Independents are coming together to defeat them and deliver the White House for Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”

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Arizona

How former Arizona Wildcats fared in Week 11 of NFL season

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How former Arizona Wildcats fared in Week 11 of NFL season


Another week of the NFL season is in the books. Here’s how former Arizona Wildcats fared around the league in Week 11.

Nick Folk, K, Tennessee Titans

Folk made a pair of field goals, including a long of 43 yards, in Tennessee’s 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Folk has 396 career field goals, one shy of 15th all-time.

Christian Roland-Wallace, ST, Kansas City Chiefs

Roland-Wallace played 13 snaps on special teams in Kansas City’s 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Roland-Wallace earned a 66.7 grade, second-best on the Chiefs special teams unit.

Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, ST, San Francisco 49ers

Flannigan-Fowles played 14 special teams snaps for San Francisco in its 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Flannigan-Fowles’ 63.6 grade on PFF was fourth-best on the 49ers special teams unit.

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Jacob Cowing, WR/ST, San Francisco 49ers

Cowing played one offensive snap and two special teams snaps in San Francisco’s loss.

Jordan Morgan, OT, Green Bay Packers

Morgan was placed on the injured reserve on Saturday, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four weeks. Morgan reportedly reaggravated a shoulder injury during practice.



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Democratic Arizona governor says she'll work with Trump on border security if it won't harm families

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Democratic Arizona governor says she'll work with Trump on border security if it won't harm families


PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday she is willing to work with President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration on border security issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking, but not in areas that she said could harm Arizona families such as mass deportation.

Hobbs traveled to the Arizona-Mexico border on Monday to trumpet her state’s National Guard work helping crack down on smuggling of the deadly synthetic opioid into the U.S. through Nogales, Arizona. More than half of all border seizures of the drug are made in Nogales.

“Border security was a core issue of the Trump campaign,” Hobbs told reporters as vehicles moved behind her. “I look forward to having conversations with the incoming president about Arizona’s needs, including border security and the work we’ve done here to build these partnerships that are actually producing results and how we can continue those partnerships under his administration.”

But, she added, there are Arizona families who “are worried about threats from the Trump administration as well.”

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“I will not tolerate actions that harm Arizonans, that harm our communities and quite honestly, divert resources from providing real security at our border,” Hobbs said.

Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history, something that would upend the lives of the 11 million people living in the United States without authorization, many of whom have family members who are U.S. citizens.

“I will stand up to protect Arizonans from harm by the federal government, from anyone,” Hobbs said, but “I’m not going to comment on hypotheticals. We don’t know what a mass deportation plan will look like, what resources it will involve.”

Hobbs also touted Operation Secure, her initiative deploying the National Guard to assist local and federal enforcement in Arizona’s border communities like Nogales. The governor said 170 Arizona National Guard members are assigned to counterdrug efforts statewide, including 40 at the border in Nogales.

The governor’s border visit comes less than two weeks after Democrats suffered blistering losses at the polls in Arizona, with Trump defeating Vice President Kamala Harris by a margin of about 185,000 votes statewide and beefing up the Republican majority in the Arizona Legislature.

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Hobbs said Monday that border security is not a “Republican or Democratic issue” and she will work with “anyone” to keep the border safe.

Troy Miller, acting head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, also spoke at the news conference and called National Guard members “a critical force multiplier” for his agency’s operations at the Nogales port.

“The scope of this problem is too large and the stakes are too high for us to do this work alone,” Miller said. “That’s why I’m so proud of the partnerships we have built, especially the ones right here in Arizona.”





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$100,000 reward in Arizona wolf killing mystery

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0,000 reward in Arizona wolf killing mystery


A protected Mexican gray wolf named Hope was found dead on November 7 near Flagstaff, Arizona, prompting a significant reward for information leading to a conviction over her killing.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department announced a combined reward of $103,500 for details about her death.

Her killing has sparked outrage among wildlife advocates who see her as a critical messenger for Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts.

Mexican gray wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Killing a Mexican wolf is a serious federal offense that can result in substantial fines and potential imprisonment.

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So far, details of the animal’s death have not been publicly released and an investigation is underway.

Newsweek contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via its website for comment.

A Mexican gray wolf staring at a camera. Mexican gray wolves once ranged widely from central Mexico throughout the southwestern U.S. including Utah, Colorado and Texas.

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Having dispersed from the Tu Dil Hil pack in the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area, Hope had carved out a territory north of Interstate 40, an area outside the official wolf recovery zone. She had been seen traveling with another Mexican wolf in the area, according to a Fish and Wildlife Service statement.

Conservation experts viewed her presence as evidence that suitable wolf habitat extends beyond current designated regions.

“Hope was a sentient individual being and a messenger of the changes needed in the Mexican gray wolf recovery program,” Claire Musser, executive director at Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, said in a statement.

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Her territory challenged existing conservation boundaries and demonstrated the potential for wolf populations to naturally expand.

Wildlife advocates have questioned how the death could have occurred, as the animal would have been instantly recognizable as a wolf.

Cyndi Tuell from Western Watersheds Project said in a statement that Hope’s tracking collar was clearly visible, making it impossible for a shooter to mistake her for a coyote or claim an accidental killing.

“If someone killed Hope, the full weight of the federal and state law should be brought to bear against the person or persons who took her away from our human community which found inspiration and joy in her existence, and from the nonhuman community that depends upon top predators to bring balance to the landscape,” Tuell said.

Hope’s presence had garnered significant public support. In 2021, Flagstaff passed a resolution supporting Mexican gray wolf recovery, recognizing both the ecological importance and potential economic benefits of wolf-related tourism.

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Scientists have recommended expanding wolf recovery plans to include additional subpopulations, particularly in the Grand Canyon ecoregion and southern Rockies. Hope’s journey represented an example of this potential.

Sandy Bahr from the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter demanded accountability. “If the investigation into Hope’s death reveals that a person killed her, we expect the Arizona Game and Fish Department to advocate for justice for Hope,” she said in a statement.

Taylor McKinnon of the Center for Biological Diversity added: “Hope embodied the dreams of many in Flagstaff, including the school children who named her. Her death is not just a loss for wildlife, but for our entire community.”

The fate of the other wolf, named as Mystery, which was traveling with Hope remains unknown, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Anyone with information about Hope’s death is urged to contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents in Pinetop, Arizona at (346) 254-0515.

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Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about gray wolves? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.



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