The Gaggle asks: What does a Trump endorsement do for Arizona's primaries?

The battle for the soul of the Republican party took center stage in Arizona. Last week, our state saw visits on the same day from former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. They talked about some of the same priorities, from border security to economic growth.

But their differences now really define them.

With thousands on hand, Trump took aim at the Biden administration and Republicans who haven’t joined his false claims of a stolen election. Those include Pence and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

Basking in his glow were several of his favored candidates, including Republicans Kari Lake for governor and Blake Masters for U.S. Senate.

Meanwhile in Peoria, Pence and Ducey held a more intimate gathering of hundreds of supporters on hand for gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson, a GOP rival of Lake's.

Pence did not attack Trump in his speech. Instead, he made it clear Arizona Republicans should align themselves with “true” conservatives.

With no real substantive differences, their stylistic differences loomed larger. The biggest difference is Trump hasn’t gotten over his loss in 2020. Pence and Ducey want to move on.

Both sides are battling for the future of the GOP. Trump commanded a much larger crowd. Does that mean he’s winning?

In this week's Gaggle, host Ron Hansen is joined by Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger to unpack what a Trump and Pence endorsement can do for Arizona's primary candidates.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Gaggle asks how the primaries will affect the Arizona GOP