The official Arizona Republican Party Twitter account had earlier retweeted a post by right-wing activist Ali Alexander, in which he pledged that he was “willing to give up my life for this fight.”

The state party responded in a tweet, saying: “He is. Are you?”

Ducey, who has been criticized by fellow Republican Trump for not doing to enough undo Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona, said on Twitter: “The Republican Party is the party of the Constitution and the rule of law.

“We prioritize public safety, law & order, and we respect the law enforcement officers who keep us safe. We don’t burn stuff down. We build things up,” he said.