The Arizona Republican Party has pulled the plug on their upcoming "Freedom Fest" event after former President Donald Trump, who was set to headline the gathering, ditched it to attend to legal matters in court.
The event was scheduled to take place in Phoenix. Per local reporter Brahm Resnik, EventBrite still had tickets on sale for the event for some time after Trump bailed, although they slashed the price multiple times.
The festival wasn't explicitly a Trump campaign event; however, a number of people who paid for tickets to the event may have done so primarily to see him speak.
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After a period of uncertainty about whether the event would move forward, the Arizona GOP issued a statement saying it was canceled, and clarifying it was indeed about Trump attending court appearances.
"Regrettably, the AZGOP Freedom Fest 2024 has been canceled as President [Trump] is required to attend to court obligations. We stand with him during this time and eagerly anticipate welcoming him back to Arizona in the near future," said the statement. "Everyone who purchased a ticket will receive a full refund."
All of this comes amid a tumultuous time for the Arizona GOP. Party chair Jeff DeWit resigned this week after Senate candidate Kari Lake secretly recorded him appearing to offer her a bribe to end her campaign. He claims that he was set up.
