Trump will hold eighth rally since taking office; event is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET
President Trump will hold a „Make America Great Again“ rally in Phoenix, Arizona Tuesday evening at 10 p.m. ET. This marks Mr. Trump’s eighth campaign-style rally since taking office. Vice President Mike Pence will also be present.
The rally is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters as well as protesters. Mr. Trump has a strong base locally, polling at 42 percent in Arizona– a higher statistic than his national approval rating of 33 percent. However, at least six protests against the rally have been organized, the largest of which could draw about 3,000 people.
Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams reassured that local law enforcement is prepared for Mr. Trump’s rally. Notably, Arizona is an open carry state, meaning citizens may legally carry a gun without a license or permit. Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead said Monday that state resources will be on standby as a „backstop“ in case Phoenix Police need reinforcement in the event of violence.
The rally comes in the shadow of a number of controversies, including heightened tensions between Mr. Trump and various Arizona politicians, Mr. Trump’s stalled promise of a border wall, and the president’s much-criticized comments regarding the Charlottesville violence.
Mr. Trump is at odds with the two GOP senators representing Arizona. Neither Sen. John McCain nor Sen. Jeff Flake will attend his rally.
McCain cast the vote that terminated the president’s long-promised plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, and has since been subject to verbal attacks from Mr. Trump.
Flake, who is up for re-election in the 2018 midterms, has been a vocal critic of the president .
„If you just have erratic behavior unmoored from principle, that’s not a good combination, “ Sen. Flake said of Mr. Trump on „CBS This Morning“ last month.
Mr. Trump has tweeted in support of Flake’s competitor, Dr. Kelli Ward. He criticized Flake for being „WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate, “ earlier this month.
„I don’t worry about it at all, “ Flake said in Phoenix on Monday to reporters who asked the senator about Mr. Trump calling him „toxic.“
There is speculation that Mr. Trump may further criticize McCain or Flake, or that he may formally endorse Ward, who is running against Flake in next year’s Republican primary, at the rally Tuesday evening.
Adding to the tension, Phoenix’s Democratic mayor, Greg Stanton, has urged Mr. Trump to delay the rally over safety concerns.
„I believe the true intention is really inflame people’s passion to further divide the country and that’s why I said the president should delay this trip to Phoenix, “ Stanton said.
Arizona’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey, will also not attend the president’s rally, although he supported Mr. Trump in his candidacy and attended a rally during his campaign for the White House.
Mr. Trump is expected to bring up issues surrounding immigration. Earlier Tuesday, the president visited Yuma, a city in Arizona that borders Mexico, to tour U. S. Customs and Border Protection border equipment and meet with immigration authorities there. The question of border wall funding is on both Mr. Trump and Congress’s agenda after the August recess.
While there was speculation that Mr. Trump may pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio at the rally Tuesday evening, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders asserted that he does not plan to address the issue.
„There will be no discussion of that today, and no action on that at any point today, “ Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
Arpaio was convicted of criminal charges last month and a federal judge found him guilty of disproportionately targeting Latinos through traffic patrols. He is currently awaiting sentencing.
Mr. Trump said he was „seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio“ earlier this month.
Tuesday evening’s rally will be the first since Mr. Trump’s comments blaming „both sides“ for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month. The remarks were heavily criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike.
The rally started out as a protest to the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from a public park, but quickly turned violent when a car rammed into a crowd of people, killing one 32-year-old woman and injuring 19 other people.
Gov. Ducey is now one of the many governors facing calls to take down Confederate statues and memorials in Arizona following the events in Charlottesville.
Mr. Trump condemned „the thugs who perpetrate hatred and violence“ in Charlottesville. He then called out the media, calling them „truly dishonest people, “ pointing to reporters and cameras nearby. The crowd met this action with boos and jeers.
Striking a tone of unity, Mr. Trump said that „when one part of America hurts, we all hurt.“ He also said that the „forgotten men and women“ will no longer be forgotten. While Mr. Trump said that „we are all American, “ he noted that he still believes in his signature „America first“ policy.
„Our movement is built on the conviction that every American from every background is entitled to a government that puts their needs first, “ Mr. Trump said, noting that his „movement“ is one of „love.“
Mr. Trump promised to fight for his agenda, pointing out the Second Amendment. The crowd gathered responded with cheers and chants of „USA! USA!“
„The crowds were so big, almost as big as tonight, “ Mr. Trump said, recalling Arizona as the site of his first campaign rally. „Believe me, Arizona, I will never forget.“
Mr. Trump begins his rally. „What a crowd, “ he said to cheers of his name from the audience. Mr. Trump assured that there weren’t „too many people outside protesting.
