President Donald Trump showered praise on several Arizona candidates he’d already endorsed at a campaign event in Phoenix on Friday and gave shoutouts to several candidates for the first time.
President Donald Trump spoke to the crowd in Phoenix on Friday for Turning Point USA's “Build the Red Wall” rally.
Entrance to the event was available on a first come, first serve basis, but all attendees had to check their voter registration status to be eligible to enter.
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Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
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Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar speaks at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
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Congressman Andy Biggs speaks at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
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President Donald Trump at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk speaks at the “Build the Red Wall” rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs takes the stage at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
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Congressman Abe Hamadeh speaks at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
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Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk speaks at the “Build the Red Wall” rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Arizona Congressman Eli Crane speaks at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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The crowd filters in for Turning Point USA's "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Arizona Congressman Juan Ciscomani at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
President Donald Trump speaks to crowd
President Donald Trump took the stage in front of the crowd at Dream City Church on Friday.
Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk spoke before him.
Tim Agne
/
KJZZ
Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk speaks at the “Build the Red Wall” rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Speakers take the stage
Among a long slate of speakers were Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs, Abe Hamadeh and Eli Crane.
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KJZZ
Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs takes the stage at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne
/
KJZZ
Congressman Abe Hamadeh speaks at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne
/
KJZZ
Arizona Congressman Eli Crane speaks at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Republican congressman arrive at rally
Arizona Republican Congressmen Andy Biggs, Juan Ciscomani and Paul Gosar arrived at the rally on Friday morning.
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KJZZ
Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne
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KJZZ
Arizona Congressman Juan Ciscomani at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne
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KJZZ
Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs at the Turning Point USA rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Outside the venue
Protesters were stationed outside Dream City Church as rally attendees arrived, along with tables selling a variety of merchandise.
Tim Agne
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KJZZ
Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Tim Agne
/
KJZZ
Turning Point USA holds its "Build the Red Wall" rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on Friday, April 17, 2026.
A proposal sent to the November ballot by Republican lawmakers to undercut Arizona’s teachers unions has drawn the ire of police and firefighters across the state, who believe the measure would also harm their labor organizations.
To talk about the state Supreme Court siding with the Maricopa County recorder in his dispute with county Supervisors and more of the week’s news, The Show sat down with Regina Cobb and Dawn Penich.
Wayne Schutsky is a senior field correspondent covering Arizona politics on KJZZ. He has over a decade of experience as a journalist reporting on local communities in Arizona and the state Capitol.