President Donald Trump will be in Phoenix soon. Trump will hold a rally at 7:00 p.m. on Aug. 22 at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Since Trump took office, he’s been holding campaign-style events across the country, but this will be his first rally in the West since his inauguration. The announcement about the rally came after the president received harsh criticism, some from his own party, for not immediately condemning white supremacists for recent violence in Charlottesville.
Pundits are wondering whether this rally could be an opportunity for Trump to announce a pardon for Joe Arpaio. Trump told Fox News this week that he’s mulling the pardon for the former sheriff of Maricopa County, who was recently convicted of criminal contempt of court.
“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,” said Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. “If President Trump is coming to Phoenix to announce a pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, then it will be clear that his true intent is to enflame emotions and further divide our nation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
