A top Maricopa County Republican was caught on video fantasizing about lynching Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a fellow Republican who has long been the target of conspiracy theorists after former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
On his Twitter account, Richer posted a video of Shelby Busch, the vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, talking to a crowd that erupted in applause when she mentioned the prospect of violence against Richer.
"If Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him!" she declared to cheers. "I don't unify with people who don't believe in the principles that we believe in and the American cause that founded this country."
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Shortly before her statement about Richer, Busch discussed the importance of running candidates who are "good Christians" who "believe what we believe."
Richer, who happens to be Jewish, found himself significantly disturbed by the violent rhetoric being leveled against him.
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"Interesting choice of words," he said. "Not, 'I'd kick his butt,' or 'I'd kill him.' But 'lynch.' Why does that word roll off her tongue given its historical context? She says this after talking about good Christian values. And while some in the room laugh, nobody shouts out in protest. Nobody says, 'that's too far.' This isn't healthy. And it's not responsible. And we shouldn't want it as part of the Republican Party."
Richer has frequently sparred with MAGA activists and with failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, whom he has sued for defamation over her claims of being fraudulently denied victory during the gubernatorial election of 2022.
Richer has also taken to regularly debunking election fraud conspiracy theories, as when he called out Trump-loving Dilbert creator Scott Adams.
