Live coverage: Donald Trump to rally in Phoenix while Democratic candidates hold debate
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is heading to a rally Wednesday in Phoenix at 9 p.m. EST – the same time that Democratic candidates vying to replace him will hold a rally in Las Vegas.
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Trump arrives in Phoenix
Air Force One touched down at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport just as the sun was setting. He was greeted on the tarmac by a number of Arizona officials, including Gov. Doug Ducey.
Meanwhile, Phoenix police confirmed in a Twitter post that Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the site of the rally, has reached fully capacity. The venue holds 14,870 people. Countless people were still waiting in line outside the venue as the rally began.
Trump tweeted a video of what his campaign was the line to get inside the event.
“Wow!” he wrote.
–Michael Collins of USA Today and Bree Burkitt of The Arizona Republic
Trump announces new intel chief
Trump made a personnel announcement ahead of his rally, confirming media reports that he will name Richard Grenell as the acting director of national intelligence.
“Rick has represented our Country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Grenell, who currently serves as U.S. ambassador to Germany, will take over the intelligence position held by Joseph Maguire since the resignation last summer of Dan Coates, a former Republican senator from Indiana.
Grenell is a loyal and outspoken Trump supporter who lives in Palm Springs. He previously served as U.S. spokesman at the United Nations under President George W. Bush.
–Michael Collins
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The president had repeatedly clashed with Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, who refused to embrace Trump and his rallies during the 2016 campaign. McCain and Flake both vocal critics of the president, with Flake delivering a broadside in a major Senate floor speech after announcing his retirement.
“An American president who cannot take criticism, who must constantly deflect and distort and distract, who must find someone else to blame, is charting a very dangerous path,” he said.
McCain died in 2018 and Flake’s criticism of Trump ended his political career.
– Katie Surma and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Arizona Republic
What to expect at tonight’s rally
Trump carried Arizona by 3.5 percentage points in 2016 over Democrat Hillary Clinton, but political experts expect the presidential race to be tighter this year. His remarks in Phoenix are expected to focus on the economy, judicial nominees and his recent Senate acquittal on impeachment charges.
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Trump will be joined at the rally by Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who is expected to face a tough re-election battle against Democrat Mark Kelly. Kelly, a former astronaut, is the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who suffered a brain injury during an assassination attempt in 2011.
McSally and Kelly are competing to serve the remaining two years of the Senate seat held by the late John McCain, who died of a brain tumor in 2017. Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to the seat pending a special election for the final two years of McCain’s term.
Trump’s rally in Phoenix comes amid a four-day swing through the West that will combine campaign stops with official White House events. Campaign rallies also are scheduled for Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday and Las Vegas on Friday.
Contributing: The Arizona Republic
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