Donald Trump’s electoral endorsements show the hold he still has over Republicans

Donald Trump was in Arizona over the weekend, as he held his first political rally of 2022 in a state that is expected to have close elections for governor and the Senate this year.

Trump’s endorsement for governor is indicative of his feelings about the country as a whole. Kari Lake, a former news anchor who was on the list of speakers for the rally, has suggested that she would not have certified the 2020 election result that made Joe Biden president if she had been governor at the time. Lake raised $1.4m (£1m) in donations across 2021, according to her campaign, although it is still not clear how much of a boost Trump’s endorsement has provided. For comparison, the Arizona secretary of state, Katie Hobbs – a Democrat – has raised $2.9m.

As for the national picture, Trump has endorsed 93 candidates in both Republican primaries and elections for Congress and governorships, according to a review by NBC News. Of those 93, more than half – 59 – have questioned the 2020 election results in some form. Trump is clearly seeking to help those who support a falsehood that he has repeatedly pushed – that the 2020 election was rigged.