No end in sight for the pro-Trump Arizona audit and that could damage the GOP brand in the state: conservative

In a column for the conservative Bulwark, a former advisor to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) explained that there appears to be no end in sight for the audit of 2020 presidential votes in Arizona's Maricopa County and, while that might make Donald Trump happy, it should concern the state's Republicans.

According to Amanda Carpenter, who turned against the GOP over the party's devotion to the former president, as long as the ballot audit continues without reaching a conclusion that might undercut Trump's claim the election was stolen from him the better it will be for Trump as he makes noises about running again in 2024.

Carpenter points out that many questions remain unanswered and that doesn't seem to concern the state's Republican leadership.

"The audit, which began on April 23, was supposed to end by May 14. Now, nearly two months after blowing past that deadline, a spokesman says people shouldn't expect anything until August. But, really, who knows when, or if, it all will ever end," Carpenter wrote. "It's not like anyone in MAGA land is in any hurry to call curtains on the big show. That's because the performance, as incompetent as it is, is the point. It's what's keeping Trump's election delusions alive and well; not what will prove or disprove whether the fantasy has merit. The play's the thing."

Carpenter notes that Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward gave away the Trump-supporter's long game that there should be an audit in every state when she said in a statement, "It is good to know that the Arizona audit is already inspiring others to take important steps to ensure election integrity. Even before its completion, the Arizona audit, America's audit, is bearing good fruit."

However, as the still-conservative Carpenter notes, Ward may be hurting her own party in the service of Trump.

"More than likely, the audit will damage the Republican brand even further in the critical swing state of Arizona, where it lost both its marquee races—the presidency and U.S. Senate—in 2020," she reported before illustrating her concerns based on recent polling in the state.

"A recentBendixen & Amandi International poll found roughly half of Arizona voters oppose the recount effort and that the 'intensity of opposition to the audit exceeded the intensity of support, with those strongly opposed to it outnumbering those strongly in favor by 5 percentage points,'" she reported before sarcastically warning, "Considering that Maricopa County delivers about two-thirds of Arizona's votes, someone ought to start writing a political thriller for 2022. Title it: 'Backlash.'"

You can read more here.