Ahead of Trump’s planned campaign-style rally in the city on Tuesday, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton (D) released a statement this week, calling on the president to halt his plans as the nation continues to grapple with fallout from the violence in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend.
"I am disappointed that President Trump has chosen to hold a campaign rally as our nation is still healing from the tragic events in Charlottesville," Stanton, a Democrat, said. "It is my hope that more sound judgment prevails and that he delays his visit."
On Wednesday, Trump used social media to urge supporters to show up at the Phoenix Convention Center for his first rally in the Western part of the country since his inauguration.
In recent days, reports also have surfaced that Trump is considering offering a pardon to former Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Last month, Arpaio -- who has been sued several times by civilians who said he promoted racial profiling -- was found guilty of criminal contempt. A U.S. District Court judge found Arpaio, 85, guilty of defying a judge’s 2011 court order to refrain from racially profiling Latinos during patrols and turning them over to federal immigration authorities.