Topline

Prominent Arizona Republican Cindy McCain on Sunday disavowed an ongoing GOP-backed audit of the results of the 2020 election in her state (nearly six months after President Joe Biden’s win), joining a chorus of Democrats and voting rights groups criticizing the party’s persisting baseless allegations of voter fraud. 

Key Facts

Speaking during a Sunday morning interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” McCain, the wife of late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), blasted the effort shepherded by Arizona’s Republican-controlled state Senate as “ludicrous.” 

A prominent critic of former President Donald Trump, whose personal attacks on her late husband have sparked a publicly contentious relationship between the two, McCain described her state’s GOP as “aloof” and “crazy” for its continued attempts to appeal to scorned Trump voters. 

“The election is over … Biden won,” McCain said, adding: “I know many of them don’t like the outcome but you know elections have consequences.” 

McCain also painted the Arizona GOP as hypocritical, pointing to the party’s refusal to audit the vote for GOP chair which a group of Republicans requested a review after deeming the election a “chaotic” process.

Key Background 

Arizona’s state Senate in April hired security consulting company Cyber Ninjas to head a forensic audit of more than 2 million votes in Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county. The CEO of the company overseeing the count, Doug Logan, spread a bizarre conspiracy theory that a company tied to deceased Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez rigged voting machines against Trump. Trump has praised the audit, which is still ongoing.

Crucial Quote 

Trump is reportedly fixated by the recount, suggesting it could turn up “thousands and thousands and thousands” of votes in his favor in a state narrowly won by Biden (by a margin of just over 10,000 votes) and be the first of many states to overturn the results of a election he’s persuaded many Republican voters was rigged against him. 

Chief Critic 

However, the recount has been criticized by Democrats and prominent voting rights groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) labeled the audit a “farce” in an interview with CNN last week. “A group of Republicans are continuing to try to appease their base who refused to accept that … Trump lost Arizona and that he’s not president anymore,” Hobbs said. 

Surprising Fact 

McCain is reportedly being vetted to become Biden’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations World Food Program. She voted for Biden in the 2020 election and was a part of the new administration’s transition team. 

Further Reading 

“They’re Still Counting—But Here’s Why Arizona’s Election Recount Is Causing Concern” (Forbes)

“Arizona’s Presidential Election Recount (Yes, That One) Back On After Democrats Refuse To Pay $1 Million” (Forbes)