- Slug: BC-CNS-Trump Rally. 465 words.
- Photos and captions below.
By CRONKITE STAFF
MESA – As President Donald Trump crisscrossed metro Phoenix on Friday, supporters already were waiting in line for his evening rally, the latest in raucous series of events that have become a trademark of his administration.
Trump went from a fundraiser in Scottsdale to a tour of Luke Air Force Base in Glendale and then was heading to the “Make America Great” rally at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 6:30 p.m., which is to support Republican Senate candidate Martha McSally in her race against Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. He is to fly back to Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
Supporters lined up in Mesa as dawn broke.
Jay Cole of Mesa, a Trump rally veteran, said for these events, it’s best to leave his house by 3 a.m. or, at the latest, 4 a.m., to be among the first in line.
“I like to be in the front so I can get front row seats so I can be close to him,” Cole said, adding that hearing the president speak would be worth the long wait.
His brother, Tim Cole, was attending his first Trump rally. He’s not sure what to expect, but he’s game.
“I’ve never met or been around the president or any president, so I thought it would be fun,” he said.
By 1 p.m., the line snaked around the building, owned by a private air-services provider, where the rally is scheduled. Mesa police said about 1,000 people were waiting but called it a rough estimate.
One of those was Teresa Mendoza, a Mesa resident and a member of the Latinas for Trump national group. She said she was a longtime Democrat but became a Republican after Trump was elected.
“The Democrats are out of control,” she said. “Now I’m not only an ex-Democrat, I’ll never vote Democrat again. He turned me into a Trumpster.”
She attended Trump’s Phoenix rally last year, which led to Phoenix police using tear gas and pepper-spray bullets on protesters after the rally. The Phoenix chapter of the ACLU has filed a class action lawsuit, saying police overreacted.
But Mendoza said she hopes police would use force again if protesters act irrationally. What brought her to this rally, she said, is seeing people of all backgrounds supporting Trump’s values.
The president arrived late Thursday night at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and headed directly to the Scottsdale Princess resort.
On Friday, according to his schedule, he participated in a roundtable discussion with supporters, delivered remarks at a fundraising committee luncheon and sign a presidential memorandum about the “reliable supply and delivery of water in the West.”
McSally announced Trump’s tour of Luke during a debate on Monday night that aired on Arizona PBS. While on base, the president also is expected to participate in a defense roundtable.
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
^_=
