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Former President Donald Trump has only one thing on his mind of late: The ongoing recount of 2020 presidential ballots in Arizonas Maricopa County.

Incredible organization and integrity taking place in Arizona with respect to the Fraudulent 2020 Presidential Election, said Trump in a statement Monday afternoon. These are Great American Patriots, but watch, the Radical Left Democrats demean and destroy campaign will start very soon.

He issued another statement in which he attacked Republican Gov. Doug Ducey as one of the worst Governors in America, and the second worst Republican Governor in America. (Presumably Trump believes Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who he has repeatedly savaged for not being willing to overturn the election results, is the worst governor in the country.)

So whats really going on here? And does the Arizona recount have a chance at, well, changing anything? I reached out to Jen Fifield, a reporter covering the recount at the Arizona Republic, for answers to those questions and more.

Our conversation conducted via email and lightly edited for flow is below.

Cillizza: Whats the genesis of this recount? Didnt Arizona already recount the entire state?

Fifield: When the general election results came in showing that Arizona elected Joe Biden as president, the results were immediately challenged by the Trump campaign, which claimed widespread fraud. The campaign and the Arizona Republican Party filed numerous lawsuits, but the courts dismissed them.

Maricopa County performed multiple audits of its election as required under state law, including a hand count of a statistically significant number of ballots and two logic and accuracy tests of voting machines. That wasnt enough for several Arizona Republican senators who had questions about the election results, including Senate President Karen Fann. So the county hired two independent auditors to thoroughly examine its voting machines, including to see whether they were hacked into or tampered with. All of the countys audits came back clean, showing that votes were counted accurately, but that still wasnt enough for many senators, including Fann.

Senate Republicans first filed subpoenas in December demanding all of the countys 2.1 million ballots, voting machines and voter information, in order to perform an audit of their own. After a lengthy court battle with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, a Republican-controlled board that was worried the integrity of the ballots and voter information would be compromised if it was handed over to the Senate, a judge ruled that the county had to provide the materials.

Cillizza: Why Maricopa County in particular? And why not the whole state?

Fifield: Maricopa County is the largest county in Arizona and has as very mixed electorate. It is one of the largest swing counties in the nation. That made it a target for the Trump campaign, which challenged election results in several swing states where [Joe] Biden won on narrow margins. That focus on the county from the start, in particular, led to this audit being considered only here and not across the state.

Cillizza: Who is overseeing this recount? Are state election officials involved?

Fifield: The county judge granted the Arizona Senate access to the ballots, voting machines and voter data, so this is technically the Senates audit. But the Senate has relinquished control of the audit to private contractors.

The Senate is paying Cyber Ninjas, a cybersecurity firm, $150,000 to conduct the audit and hire its own contractors. The Arizona Republic found that the CEO of the firm, Doug Logan, had touted conspiracy theories about the election on social media and had participated in a previous attempt to overturn Michigan election results. Logan told reporters at a news conference last week that the audit is costing more than $150,000, but he would not say how much or who is paying his company. He also will not give information about everyone involved. Nonpartisan election auditing experts have indicated this audit will cost millions.

By handing the operations over to Cyber Ninjas, the Senate has reduced the transparency of the audit. The contractors are unwilling to share all of the parties they have hired, how much in total it will cost and who is paying them, and public records requests have so far gone unanswered. One America News Network announced they were fundraising for the effort, along with Sidney Powell.

Cillizza: What is the goal here? What could a partial recount of the states ballots tell us?

Fifield: Senate President Karen Fann says the goal of the audit is to identify whether fraudulent votes were cast in the election and identify there are any problems with the countys voting process. Fann said any irregularities identified could be used as the Arizona Senate crafts new laws to change Arizonas voting process.

Critics say that the audit is a late attempt to overturn the states election results, nearly six months after the election.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Legislature is considering numerous bills that would change voting in Arizona, including those would limit or perhaps eliminate early voting, the process that most Arizonans use to cast ballots. Those bills may be on hold while the Republicans wait for the results of this audit.

Cillizza: Finish this sentence: The effect of this latest recount on Arizonas politics will be _________. Now, explain.

Fifield: The effect of this latest recount on Arizonas politics will be either huge or miniscule, depending on how it all plays out.

Several nonpartisan election experts across the country have called into question the legitimacy of the audit because of the lack of clear procedures, and the lack of proper funding and time to do it right. The concerns are growing as the transparency of the audit shrinks, and after I volunteered as an observer and saw that the auditors were not following some Arizona election procedures for audits. The auditors will not allow press into the building, other than if they serve as volunteer observers, and volunteer observers must follow certain rules, such as no note-taking and recording on the audit floor.

If the results are believed to be accurate and fair by Senate Republicans, and the results say that there was fraud or misconduct in the election, the legislature may attempt to dramatically change how voting happens in our state.

The audit results could be used by state lawmakers not just here, but across the country, in attempts to push through numerous changes to how we vote.

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Arizona Republicans are conducting a baffling and completely secretive recount of the 2020 election - CNN

A self-described libertarian-leaning Republican, Sen. Cynthia Lummis has been a Wyoming state representative, state senator, state treasurer and U.S. congresswoman. She retired back to her family ranch after her husband died in 2015 and came back to Congress because neither party cared enough about the deficit for her liking.

I'm really worried about it. I think we're devaluing the U.S. dollar, she told me sitting on the lip of the Capitol reflecting pool that was covered in bird poop, which after decades on a ranch didnt bother her. (It bothered me a bit, but fake it til you make it, right?)

With Lummis, I wanted to get a sense of what she thought the Republican Party stood for after four years of Donald Trump, whose ambivalence for the rising deficit, focus on cultural issues and harsh immigration policies and rhetoric were all a shift for the party. Her answer wasnt overly specific and had those tinges of Trumpism the party hasnt been able to shake: I'm hoping that our party is concerned about illegal immigration, which I think it is. That they're concerned about everyday working Americans, she said.

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Where the Republican Party stands after Trump, according to Wyomings junior senator - POLITICO

Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for one spot on the Bethel Township Board of Supervisors.

Incumbent and board Chairman Jacob C. Meyer will face Jay A. Bicksler for the lone seat.

Township commissioner is a six-year term.

We asked the candidates to respond to two questions:

Question 1: What issue is driving you to run for office?

Question 2: What are you learning when you talk to voters?

Background:I have been a lifelong resident of Bethel Township, moving here when a child. I am married with three daughters, two of which still live locally. I was a trucker for 30 years, and have been a pastor for the past 20 years, the last five being full time.

Response 1:Having been a supervisor for the past five years, I believe that we have navigated through a dramatic period of transition. With the warehouse development we have experienced the culture of the township has been changed. Insofar as I am concerned, we need to now ensure that the rights of all citizens be protected, and that the law be upheld so that our community can continue to smoothly run. With the experiences I have encountered while in office, and the involvement I have with officials in other layers of government, and my ongoing interaction with the supporting advisory township boards, I can be a benefit in helping the residents engage with our various government entities.

Response 2:The biggest lesson I have received in talking to the voters is that beyond knowing how to vote, many do not know how local government works and the extent to which it impacts their lives. Oftentimes it is requested of me that we tell someone else, frequently a neighbor, what to do. In America, we still have private property rights, and they must be upheld. It has been challenging at times to effectively communicate that principle. The most gratifying aspect to getting out and talking to the voters is their appreciation for my willingness to listen to their concerns. As I have always believed elected representatives must hear the voice of the people in order to represent them, this is a vital part of the reason I was elected. In an era when government has become increasingly tone deaf to the people, this aspect of representation is vital.

Jay A. Bicksler (did not respond)

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2 seek the Republican nomination for Bethel Township supervisor - Reading Eagle

Hes one of the most decent people you ever want to meet. He and Jill are very good people. And you disagree with people you like. So I dont see where it helps us trying to get into a food fight with him, said Graham, a top Trump ally.

The GOP is more likely to take back the House next fall than the Senate, given the latters staggered map, and Republicans are only starting to chip away at a president who governs in precisely the opposite manner to his incendiary predecessor, Donald Trump. In Orlando, where the House GOP held a three-day retreat to start plotting its path back to the majority, Republicans coalesced around a midterm message that hits Biden on immigration, policing, climate change and raising taxes.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) speaks during a House Select Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. | Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP

That will have a negative impact on not just his popularity, but on the country's economy, at a time when we're just starting to come out of Covid, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) told reporters at the retreat, referring to policy items on Bidens wishlist. As people see what he's doing and it's Nancy Pelosi, it's AOC, it's that socialist wing of the party that's driving the agenda that's not what he ran on.

The GOPs reluctance to make Biden into a bogeyman stems from both a confidence that his policies are unpopular enough on their own and, for some Republicans, a personal relationship with the president. But not taking the opportunity to more concretely define Biden something Trump also struggled to do during the 2020 campaign could backfire for Republicans.

Its also a stark contrast from the GOPs approach toward Obama, who faced racist birtherism accusations and was already grappling with Tea Party demonstrations around the country within his first 100 days in office. And the fixation on Hunter Biden that energized anti-Biden conservatives during last years presidential campaign isn't part of GOP leaders current strategy.

They are having a hell of a time trying to put a negative label on him, said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), of Biden. Its a real dilemma.

Biden is hovering above 50 percent approval, but even that might not be enough to save Pelosis control of the House. A president with an approval rating of more than 50 percent typically loses 14 seats in his partys first midterm, according to Gallup. The GOP only needs to flip five seats to seize back power in 2022, and theyll likely have forthcoming redistricting on their side. If Biden dips below 50 percent, things could get even worse.

So far, Bidens approval ratings are significantly higher than Trumps, but lower than Obamas, according to recent surveys from Pew, the Washington Post and Reuters. His $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill has proved popular, and there are early indications that more spending on infrastructure could also win public support. Biden is expected to tout both the Covid and infrastructure plans during his first joint address to Congress on Wednesday night.

Yet senior Republicans arent sweating Bidens job approval ratings. Scalise called them stagnant and argued theres a honeymoon period for any new president. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), head of the House GOPs campaign arm, expressed confidence that the president's numbers would start to deteriorate. And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Bidens sub-50-percent approval on handling of the border, as well as his marks on the economy, could spell trouble for the president.

They really ought to be worried, McCarthy said of Democrats in an interview with POLITICO.

Republicans have settled on attacking Biden as a moderate candidate who's now governing as a liberal, led around by progressive senators like Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). But compared with their relatively nuanced criticisms of Biden, House Republicans are far more comfortable going after Pelosi. It's a return to one of the GOPs greatest hits, recalling their Fire Pelosi rallying cry following the 2010 passage of Obamacare a slogan that's getting a reprise.

During a private presentation to the House GOP in Orlando, Emmer revealed internal polling that showed Pelosi is one of the least popular politicians in the country, with her numbers dropping further in the last two months, according to a source in the room. The National Republican Congressional Committee chair noted that her numbers were particularly low in the Midwest, though YouGov data shows Pelosi still polls higher than Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer or Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Meanwhile, internal polling from the National Republican Senatorial Committee in February showed a narrow majority offering a favorable view of Biden but Schumer and Pelosi underwater. A plurality of respondents in that survey said theyd support a GOP candidate as a check on Bidens agenda over a Democrat who would help approve it. The rest of the polling focused on portraying Bidens policies as unpopular.

Florida politics are complicated. So is the future of the GOP. POLITICOs Sabrina Rodriguez talks with Miamis Republican Mayor Francis Suarez about where Florida fits into that future.

We can have disagreements, but we need to make sure that we're unified and in one place. We're seeing it at this conference, which is: firing Nancy Pelosi and stopping the socialist agenda, Emmer said in an interview. Everybody is unified on that.

The desire to make Hunter Biden a political liability for the president hasnt totally disappeared in the GOP, especially among the Trump wing of the party. On Monday, a group of Republicans called on Bidens ATF nominee to probe reports that the Secret Service intervened in an investigation involving Hunter Bidens gun. But aside from Hunter, Republicans cant seem to find a bad thing to say about the president.

Freshman Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) raved about an exchange he had with Biden over the Floridian's former career as a firefighter during a White House meeting on infrastructure, calling the moment heartfelt. Summarizing Republicans dilemma, another GOP lawmaker said that "its hard to hit someone who reminds you of your grandpa.

Hes likable, hes relatable theyre not having him omnipresent, said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, of the White Houses strategy. Still, Thune added, Biden will be judged by his policies. And I think thats whats going to [happen] eventually, whether people like him personally or not.

Everett reported from Washington. Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.

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Republicans got personal with Obama. Why they won't do the same to Biden. - POLITICO

Propelled by growing voter frustration over Californias response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Republican-led drive to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office collected enough voter signatures to qualify for the ballot, state officials reported Monday, triggering for only the second time in state history a rapid-fire campaign to decide whether to oust a sitting governor.

Recall backers submitted more than 1,495,709 verified voter signatures equal to 12% of all ballots cast in the last gubernatorial election meeting the minimum threshold to force a special recall election, according to a tally released by Secretary of State Shirley Weber. Barring intervention by the courts, Newsom will face a statewide vote of confidence by years end.

We knew we gathered enough signatures, and now its time to turn it over to the voters, said Dave Gilliard, one of the strategists leading the effort to oust Newsom. Were very confident that theyre going to want to change direction in California and remove Gavin Newsom and go with someone else.

Newsoms advisors expressed confidence that the governor will defeat the attempt to remove him from office and criticized the recall effort as the work of far-right supporters of former President Trump.

The governor, who appeared prepared for Mondays announcement, quickly took to Twitter to defend his record.

This Republican recall threatens our values and seeks to undo the important progress weve made from fighting COVID, to helping struggling families, protecting our environment, and passing commonsense gun violence solutions, Newsom said. Theres too much at stake.

Though recent opinion polls showed that only 40% of California voters support recalling Newsom, an indication that the effort might fail, the success of the recall campaign in gathering enough valid signatures for a special election delivers a blow to Newsom, one of the nations most prominent and politically ambitious Democrats, who raised his national profile as a liberal foil to Trump.

In all, Newsoms critics gathered 1,626,042 valid voter signatures on recall petitions, according to the report issued Monday, which contains information collected from elections officials in Californias 58 counties as of April 19. Some signatures remain unexamined. The final report will be issued by Friday.

Before the recall petition can be certified by Weber, voters who signed the petitions will be given time to withdraw their signatures, and state officials will crunch the numbers on the cost to conduct the election, steps that could take up to three months to complete. Only then can Weber issue her official certification, triggering action by Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to call an election within 60 to 80 days.

Voters will decide whether Newsom is recalled and, if he is removed from office, who should replace him. Newsom is barred from being listed among the candidates who can be considered if the recall passes.

Two and a half years ago, Newsom won the governors office by the largest margin in modern history, capping the telegenic Democrats steady rise to the pinnacle of California politics that began in 1996, when San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown appointed him to the citys Parking and Traffic Commission.

The son of an appellate court judge with deep ties to San Franciscos most affluent residents, Newsom ascended quickly to a seat on the citys Board of Supervisors, two terms as San Francisco mayor and, after abandoning a fledgling run for governor in 2010, eight years as Californias lieutenant governor.

Enveloped in an air of inevitability, Newsom dominated the 2018 governors race by trouncing a field of Democratic rivals that included former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, as well as a little-known Republican challenger, businessman John Cox. Newsoms campaign stoked whispers and persistent speculation of a future White House run.

But Newsoms star dimmed this summer as criticism of his response to the pandemic intensified, and he now finds himself fighting for survival.

The recall vote opens up the possibility that a Republican could be elected to replace Newsom, a scenario that took place in 2003. That year, California voters soured by rolling power outages, budget cuts and a car tax hike recalled Democratic Gov. Gray Davis from office and elected Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, the last Republican to serve as the states chief executive.

The spectacle of the 2003 recall election fascinated people across the country, who were intrigued by Californias reputation as a far-out haven for sun-baked dreamers, celebrities and Hollywood wannabes and political absurdity. More than 130 candidates hoping to replace Davis crammed the ballot, among them Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt, former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington and Diffrent Strokes star Gary Coleman.

Californians already trying to survive the disorienting realities of the COVID-19 pandemic may face a similar political carnival in 2021. Local officials from across California believe the cost of conducting the recall election could run as high as $400 million.

Democratic leaders have publicly vowed to support Newsom and, along with the governors advisors, have described the recall effort as the handiwork of ambitious Republican politicians and pro-Trump, anti-mask, anti-vaccine extremists.

The effort began last spring, spearheaded by Orrin Heatlie, a retired sheriffs sergeant from Yolo County. It is the sixth attempt to recall Newsom since he took office in January 2019; the previous five, including two others by Heatlie, fizzled with little support and even less notice.

The People of California have done what the politicians thought would be impossible, Heatlie said in a statement posted on the recall campaigns website. Our work is just beginning. Now the real campaign is about to commence.

The recall efforts were fueled in large part by the festering animosity Californias conservative minority holds against Newsom and his progressive agenda, a virulence highly concentrated among supporters of Trump. The petition that placed Newsoms recall on the ballot focused on well-worn GOP grievances in the deep blue state, blaming Newsom for Californias high taxes and homelessness crisis, and criticizing him for protecting immigrants who enter the county illegally and for halting executions.

Conspicuously absent from the petition is criticism of Newsoms response to the pandemic, which was in its infancy when recall proponents launched the effort.

But the governors policies to combat COVID-19 provided the blast of oxygen necessary to bring the recall to life.

Shortly after the onset of the pandemic, Newsom enjoyed soaring job approval ratings following his initial response, including imposing the nations first statewide stay-at-home order in mid-March.

However, his high marks began to plummet, as did those of other governors across the nation. Californians grew frustrated with government-mandated restrictions to stem the spread of the virus, actions that devastated businesses, put millions out of work and forced schoolchildren into distance learning programs.

Newsoms public image took a major hit in November, when he attended a lobbyists birthday party at the upscale French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley after pleading with Californians to stay home and avoid multifamily gatherings. Supporters of the Republican-led recall effort seized on the misstep, accusing the wealthy governor of hypocrisy and of enjoying the everyday freedoms and luxuries that were barred for many in the state.

Newsoms political fortunes are tied, at least in part, to Californias ability to rebound from the pandemic by the time of the recall election. If children are back on campuses and people are widely vaccinated, Democratic and independent voters may view their governor more favorably at the polls.

UC San Diego political scientist Thad Kousser said the situation looked bleak for Newsom just a few months ago when California was overwhelmed by a surge in COVID-19 cases, businesses were suffering and in the aftermath of the French Laundry episode.

Much has changed, however. Californias coronavirus case rate is now the lowest of any state in the nation, schools are reopening, the state could see a $15-billion tax revenue windfall, and Newsom has predicted the states economy will fully reopen in mid-June.

Its fate today looks much less possible than it did when when this recall drive began in earnest, Kousser said. But if theres anything weve learned last year it is that things could change dramatically in another four months.

Newsom earlier this month announced the June 15 target for that return to normality. The governor said he intends to lift business restrictions and fully reopen the state economy, so long as vaccine supply remains sufficient and hospitalization rates are stable.

Barring the emergence of a more dangerous coronavirus variant that resists vaccines, a shortage in vaccine supply or some other major failure, the chance of hitting that summer reopening date seem high as more Californians become inoculated, health officials say.

State officials in February estimated that a large swath of Californians as many as 38% had antibodies either from catching the virus or from vaccines. The Newsom administration has drastically expanded vaccine eligibility since then, opening access April 15 to all residents 16 and older.

More than 26 million vaccine doses have been administered in California, and more than a quarter of the population is fully vaccinated.

Still, Newsoms job approval rating among California voters has suffered, according to two independent political polls released in February. The surveys found that roughly half of voters gave Newsom good marks, down from 64% earlier in the year.

In a Public Policy Institute of California poll released in March, 56% of voters said they opposed the recall, and 40% supported it; the remainder were undecided. The percentage of those who favored ousting Newsom was slightly above the support for Trump in California in the November election, when he received 34% of the vote.

That hasnt deterred Republicans from lining up to replace Newsom.

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer earlier this year announced that he would challenge Newsom, either in a recall campaign or when Newsom is up for reelection in 2022. Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in the 2018 general election, expressed similar plans. Former Northern California Rep. Doug Ose, a Republican who left office in 2005, is also in the running, as is reality television star and Olympic gold-medalist Caitlyn Jenner.

Two familiar faces who were candidates in the 2003 recall election have also joined the race: former adult film actress Mary Carey and L.A. billboard icon Angelyne.

Others caught up in the swirl of rumors and speculation about potential candidates include Richard Grenell, who served as ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration.

One pivotal question that remains unclear is whether a Democrat will jump into the race, either in support of ousting Newsom or hoping to serve as a safety valve to block a Republican from being elected if Newsom is recalled.

Times staff writers Seema Mehta and John Myers contributed to this report.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom to face recall election - Los Angeles Times