'The ground is shifting': Longtime GOP aide sounds the alarm that Trump is putting Arizona in play

Chuck Coughlin, who once served as a top aide to two different Republican governors in Arizona, is warning that President Donald Trump is putting his state in play for the 2020 presidential election.

In an interview with Politico, Coughlin said his party has expressed real anxiety about the state turning blue next year.

"Republicans are very concerned,” he said. "The ground is shifting."

At the moment, just 45 percent of Arizona voters have a favorable view of Trump, while 53 percent have an unfavorable view. Additionally, the victory of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) in last year's midterm elections showed that Democrats can be competitive in statewide races in a place that became famous for electing iconic conservative senators such as John McCain and Barry Goldwater.

As if this weren't bad enough, Politico reports that "Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio surveyed Arizona on behalf of the AARP and found Biden leading Trump, 50 percent to 45 percent" earlier this year, while also finding "a statistical tie in the Senate contest" between incumbent Republican Martha McSally and Democratic challenger Mark Kelly.