Trump signals endorsement coming in Arizona's Senate race but not for Brnovich

Former President Donald Trump ripped Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich Monday for his handling of his investigation into the 2020 election and signaled he will soon be making an endorsement in Arizona’s Republican U.S. Senate primary race, where Brnovich is a top contender.

“He (Brnovich) wants to be politically correct. Because of the amount of time that it took him to do the report, which was endless, his poll numbers have been rapidly sinking," Trump said in a written statement."… The good news is Arizona has some very good people running for election to the U.S. Senate. I will be making an Endorsement in the not too distant future!”

Brnovich is running against four other Republicans seeking the GOP Senate nomination. He faces businessman Jim Lamon, who is spending millions to fund his campaign; venture capitalist Blake Masters; Michael “Mick” McGuire, the retired adjutant general of the Arizona National Guard; and Arizona Corporation Commissioner Justin Olson.

Nearly all have ties to Trump and are competing for the former president’s nod.

Previously: Will Trump endorse Mark Brnovich after report about 2020 election?

A spokesperson for Brnovich did not immediately respond to Trump’s statement.

On Tuesday, Brnovich reacted to Trump's criticism, heaping praise on his efforts to secure the border and install many conservative judges on the federal bench.

"I understand his frustration, but as I've said previously, I will continue to follow the facts and evidence and do what the law requires," Brnovich said in a written statement. "That's what I've always done and what I will continue to do as Arizona's next senator."

Brnovich’s lengthy probe of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, which Trump narrowly lost to Democratic President Joe Biden, has brought increased pressure from his GOP rivals and Republican grassroots voters to do more than just issue his recent “interim report.” That report did not point to widespread fraud as Trump and many Arizona Republicans have baselessly claimed, but said there were “serious vulnerabilities” and “questions” about the election.

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“Well, he did a report, and he recites some of the many horrible things that happened in that very dark period of American history but, rather than go after the people that committed these election crimes, it looks like he is just going to ‘kick the can down the road’ and stay in that middle path of non-controversy,” Trump said in his statement.

The investigation remains ongoing and Brnovich on Monday began using it to fundraise for his Senate campaign as his challengers accuse him of dragging out the investigation to gain favor with Trump and his supporters.

Around the country and in Arizona, Trump is endorsing candidates willing to echo the election-fraud falsehoods, elevating their standing with a conservative GOP base that wants to undo Trump’s loss to Biden by decertifying the results, making arrests or indicting people they deem bad actors.

There is no credible evidence of widespread fraud lin 2020, despite Trump's assertions.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump signals endorsement coming in Senate race but not for Brnovich