HAPPENING GET YOUR VIOLENCE ON IN PHOENIX - Big protests expected as Trump plans Phoenix rally
Large protests could greet President Donald Trump on Tuesday when he travels to Arizona for his first campaign rally since he caused an uproar with his remarks about a white nationalist demonstration in Virginia.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat, asked the Republican president to postpone Tuesday's event scheduled for 7 p.m. MST (0200 GMT on Wednesday) in light of his response to the street battles that broke out earlier this month at a protest against the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville.
Trump was widely criticized for blaming both white nationalists and counter-protesters for the violence at the rally organized by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
"America is hurting. And it is hurting largely because Trump has doused racial tensions with gasoline," Stanton wrote in the Washington Post. "With his planned visit to Phoenix on Tuesday, I fear the president may be looking to light a match."
Several anti-Trump demonstrations are planned for Phoenix, according to social media postings by local activists.
Some White House officials privately expressed concern on Monday about Trump's Phoenix rally, fearing he might revisit the Charlottesville issue in the heat of the moment while cheered on by thousands of supporters.
Trump has railed against the media coverage of his remarks, saying on Twitter that news outlets "totally misrepresent what I say about hate, bigotry."
It will be Trump's first trip as president to Arizona, which he won in the 2016 election. He will also visit a border protection facility in Yuma, Arizona, along the U.S.-Mexican border as he seeks congressional funding for the wall he wants built..
Republican Governor Doug Ducey told the Arizona Republic on Monday that he would welcome Trump on the tarmac when he arrived but would not attend the campaign rally. Instead, he said he would be focused on ensuring the safety of the event.
Trump has clashed with Arizona's two Republican U.S. senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, on various issues. Both lawmakers are critics of the president.
news.trust.org
Phoenix on High Alert for Trump Rally
Political leaders and law enforcement officials in Arizona are on high alert ahead of President Trump’s campaign rally Tuesday night in Phoenix.
The big question is whether there will be more supporters of Trump inside the Phoenix Convention Center, which holds 29,000, or protestors outside.
Trump’s response to the violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., has become the biggest controversy to date of his presidency.
The Phoenix rally, as a result, has become an opportunity for Trump’s opponents to show their force.
Some GOP leaders, such as Gov. Doug Ducey, are steering clear of the rally entirely.
Trump is moving ahead with the event despite a plea from Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat, that he stay away.
Stanton said in a statement that he is “disappointed” that Trump would hold a campaign rally while the nation “is still healing from the tragic events in Charlottesville.
Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said in a statement that her force will have “maximum staffing during the visit.”
The department is “working 24/7 with our partners to ensure all of our resources are in place,” Williams said.
Stanton said the city is committed to keeping everyone inside and outside the arena safe.
“The Phoenix police is always professional and the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have been great about coordinating with local law enforcement,” former Arizona GOP chairman Robert Graham told The Hill.
Charlottesville isn’t the only reason to think the Phoenix rally could be combustible.
The president has mused publicly about pardoning controversial former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an early Trump supporter who was found guilty of racially profiling Latinos. Arpaio, who was prosecuted and convicted of racial profiling by former President Obama’s Justice Department, is a well-known and controversial figure in Phoenix.
Democrats are warning that a public pardon at a campaign rally would stoke racial tensions at a time when the nation is on edge.
Stanton said a pardon would “enflame emotions and further divide our nation,” while Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said Arpaio “shouldn’t be let off the hook for his crimes” just so Trump can win “some bonus points with his most racist supporters.”
thehill.com