- Trump was booed at an Arizona rally after mentioning his endorsement of House candidate Eli Crane.
- Trump appeared bewildered by the booing and asked: “But you like me, right?”
- Crane is one of seven candidates in the GOP primary, which include QAnon activist Ron Watkins.
Former President Donald Trump appeared flustered when he was booed at a rally in Arizona on Friday when speaking about one of his recent Congress endorsements.
Trump, used to adulation from his super-loyal MAGA followers, looked uncomfortable when he hyped Eli Crane, a candidate in the Arizona GOP congressional primary, and some in the crowd responded negatively. Some people also cheered.
“And a highly respected man, just endorsed by me today, future congressman for the 2nd District, Eli Crane,” Trump said, prompting boos from the crowd.
The former president appeared surprised and repeatedly looked towards the source of the booing before smiling awkwardly.
“But you like me, right?” Trump then says to the crowd with an awkward chuckle.
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 23, 2022
Seven Republican candidates are running in the primary for Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, including Ron Watkins, the man widely rumored to have started the QAnon movement.
Crane is a former Navy SEAL and self-described "America First" candidate who hopes to take on Democratic incumbent Rep. Tom O'Halleran in November.
Crane has been described as a "carpetbagger" by some critics online, meaning a political candidate who seeks to be elected in an area where they have no local connections.
A website dedicated to criticizing Crane encouraged rally-goers to boo him, noting that he does not and has never lived in the 2nd Congressional District.
The site also claimed that Crane has never lived in a part of Arizona as rural as the district he is running in, putting him out of touch with voters.
Crane is currently the top fundraising Republican candidate, receiving over $2 million. The next top fundraising candidates, Walter Blackman and Mark DeLuzio have received a little over $1 million each. The primary is on August 2.
The rally in Prescott Valley was held in support of Trump's endorsed candidate for governor, Kari Lake.