Jay Feely praises Trump at RNC, accuses opponent of supporting socialism

Former Cardinals kicker Jay Feely is the only Arizona candidate to speak at this year’s Republican National Convention in Dallas. In his speech Wednesday, Feely accused his congressional opponent, Democrat Amish Shah, of supporting a swath of issues Feely called “socialist.”

“Democrat socialists like Bernie Sanders and my opponent, Amish Shah; they aren’t the fringe of the Democratic Party. They are the Democratic Party. They have clearly articulated their visions as you’ve heard tonight: abolish prisons, abolish borders, abolish the U.S. Senate,” Feely said.

Shah’s campaign spokesperson says those claims are “demonstrably false.”

Shah also doesn’t call himself a Democratic socialist.

The candidates are running in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which is one of the most competitive races in the country.

The winner will replace outgoing GOP Congressman David Schweikert.

Feely is a close ally of President Trump and has his endorsement. He said the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump was an impactful moment for him and his wife, which inspired Feely’s decision to run.

“Seven hundred eighty-eight days ago when a gunman opened fire on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, America held its breath, and the fragility of everything we held dear came into focus,” Feely told the crowd Wednesday. “With blood on his face, President Trump raised a fist and he told this nation to fight. That’s right. That courage led Rebecca and I to ask each other a question: What are we willing to sacrifice for our country?”

Feely is accusing Shah of being too liberal, while Shah is accusing Feely of being too far-right.

Ironically, Shah’s primary opponents accused the former state legislator and ER doctor of being too conservative.

In the Legislature, Shah did upset the Democratic caucus by breaking ranks and taking some positions alongside Republicans.

Feely also accused Shah of supporting a socialized American healthcare system. In a socialized system, the government would fully control healthcare, own the hospitals, and employ the doctors and other providers.

Shah has never said that he supports a socialized system. Instead, he advocates for universal healthcare — which would ensure everybody has access to affordable care.