Veterans are responding to call from AZGOP Chairman Sergio Arellano to demand that Attorney General Kris Mayes reject Jane Fonda’s fundraising support, escalating criticism of an upcoming Phoenix event featuring the actress and political activist.
Arellano cited Fonda’s 1972 visit to North Vietnam and called on Mayes to apologize to veterans for accepting her support.
“Mayes should publicly disassociate herself from Fonda and apologize to all veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, for her decision to accept that support,” Arellano said.
As a U.S. Army combat veteran, I am calling on all of my fellow Arizona veterans to demand that Attorney General Kris Mayes rebuke Jane Fonda and refuse her fundraising support.
We have all seen images of Fonda in July 1972, when she mocked our nation and our warfighters as she… pic.twitter.com/OcgfDprK39— Sergio Arellano (@SurgeShow) October 2, 2026
The invitation at the center of the dispute advertises an Oct. 7 event supporting Mayes, with Fonda appearing as a special guest. Dawna and Dan Calderone are listed as hosts.
The North Central Phoenix fundraiser includes a VIP reception from 6 to 7 p.m. and a general reception from 7 to 8 p.m. The invitation lists four contribution levels: $250 for the general reception, $1,000 for VIP admission, $2,500 for co-hosts and $5,500 for hosts.
The Arizona GOP said Mayes shared the invitation on X. Its release describes prices ranging from $250 to $5,000, although the invitation’s host level is $5,500.
Arellano, whom the party identifies as a U.S. Army combat veteran, framed his demand around Fonda’s conduct during the Vietnam War and its significance to veterans.
“As a U.S. Army combat veteran, I am calling on all of my fellow Arizona veterans to demand that Attorney General Kris Mayes rebuke Jane Fonda and refuse her fundraising support,” he said in the statement.
Fonda’s visit included an appearance at a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun site and broadcasts on Radio Hanoi. Arellano accused her of participating in propaganda directed at American pilots while U.S. prisoners remained in captivity.
“Those actions gave aid and comfort to the enemy while Americans were still fighting and dying,” he said. “Because of Fonda’s actions, our heroes weren’t welcomed home. Instead, they were spit on and treated like garbage. Our veterans suffered inhumane treatment and disdain. Too many took their own lives or fell prey to alcoholism and substance abuse. Mayes should publicly disassociate herself from Fonda and apologize to all veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, for her decision to accept that support. If you served, make your voice heard. We have not forgotten.”
The controversy has followed Fonda for decades. In a 2011 account of the trip, she acknowledged being photographed at the gun emplacement and expressed regret for the image and the hurt it caused. She also described her involvement in the antiwar movement and defended her decision to speak against the conflict.
A CBS summary of her 2005 “60 Minutes” interview documented her apology for the gun-site appearance alongside her continued defense of the Hanoi visit and radio broadcasts. CBS reported that Fonda said she sought to expose what she believed were government falsehoods and help bring the war to an end.
Mayes’ association with Fonda’s political organization is publicly listed on her campaign’s endorsement page, which includes the Jane Fonda Climate PAC among supporting organizations.
The Republican Party’s demand does not identify how much money the Oct. 7 event has raised or document a personal contribution from Fonda. It asks Mayes to reject her fundraising assistance and publicly distance herself from the actress.
Arellano closed his appeal by urging veterans to speak out: “If you served, make your voice heard. We have not forgotten.”
Veterans responded to that call.
“In July 1972, while American prisoners of war were being held and mistreated in North Vietnam, Jane Fonda traveled to Hanoi. She sat on an anti-aircraft gun, the kind used to shoot down our pilots, and smiled for the cameras. She went on Radio Hanoi and spoke directly to American airmen, telling them to stop flying their missions. Some of the men she was speaking about were sitting in cells a few miles away,” stated veteran Fernando Monarrez.
“She has since said the photo was a mistake,” continued Monarrez. “But she has stood by the trip and the broadcasts. Regretting how something looked is not the same as regretting what you did. She regrets the consequences, not the act. I served. I know what it means to depend on the people beside you and the country behind you. Turning on the men in uniform while they are still fighting is not a political opinion. It is a betrayal. Some things can be explained. That one can’t be excused. To every Vietnam veteran who came home to silence or worse: we see you. We have not forgotten.”
“How low can you go in progressive move such as this Hanoi Jane?” asked veteran John Mendibles. “This person is one of the main reasons our Vietnam troops were spit upon by progressive democrat socialists of that time. Unbelievable!”
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