Donald Trump campaigns in Arizona: Live coverage

‘They’re getting personal’: Donald Trump responds to DNC speeches

Former president Donald Trump hit back at Democrats at a rally in North Carolina, his first outdoor rally since being shot.

Trump, a harsh critic of Obama and his time in office, actually offered some rare praise for his predecessor while speaking to reporters Tuesday. That praise? Trump referred to the 44th president as a “nice gentleman” whom he happens to “like and respect,” in an interview with CNN. 

“I thought he was a terrible president. He didn’t do the job. He let people take advantage of us on trade,” Trump said while on the campaign trail in Michigan. “Especially trade — he was very weak on trade. But I happen to like him. I respect him and his wife.” 

Trump was not too thrilled with Barack and Michelle Obama’s comments at the national convention. 

“Did you see Barack Hussein Obama last night take shots? He was taking shots at your president,” Trump said at a rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday, the day after the Obamas spoke at the Democratic National Convention. 

The use of Obama’s full name harkens back to Trump’s promotion of the “birther” conspiracy, a false claim about Obama’s birthplace that Trump eventually walked back in 2016. 

“He was very nasty last night. I try to be nice to people you know, but it gets a little tough when they get personal,” Trump continued. 

Trump mentioned that his campaign advisers tried to keep him from getting “personal” and to stick with policy talk. He asked the crowd if he should follow that advice or get personal. The crowd responded wanting him to get personal. 

— Joyce Orlando, USA TODAY  

Awaiting Donald Trump’s visit to Arizona, Secret Service agents, Cochise County sheriff officers and other law enforcement lined a dirt road leading to the U.S.-Mexico border. The former president was set to arrive at Sierra Vista Municipal Airport on Thursday morning, tour a portion of the border near Coronado National Monument and speak with the press.— Stephanie Murray and Sarah Lapidus

Donald Trump will hit the campaign trail in Glendale on Friday, holding a rally at the same venue where Kamala Harris drew a crowd of 15,000 people earlier this month.  

It’s the perfect opportunity for a crowd size comparison.  

The Republican former president is under pressure to upstage Harris by packing Desert Diamond Arena with a huge crowd. It’s a comparison of his own making: Trump has been disputing the size of Harris’ fired-up campaign crowds lately, even falsely claiming she used artificial intelligence because her sea of supporters was so large at a recent event.  

The event marks Trump’s first large-scale campaign event in battleground Arizona since Harris became the Democratic nominee. Trump had a comfortable lead over President Joe Biden in the state, but the race has tightened now that Harris is his opponent.  

“Until Kamala Harris took the top of the ticket, Trump was known for throwing the better party,” said Stacey Pearson, a Phoenix Democratic political consultant.  

The size of a rally is not an indicator of who will win an election, but a campaign crowd can provide a peek into how enthusiastic voters are about a particular candidate. That’s notable in Arizona, where Biden had struggled to get voters excited to turn out before he left the race.  

— Stephanie Murray 

For years, Arizona has been one of former President Donald Trump’s favorite spots to campaign. 

He was a frequent visitor in 2015 and 2016 on his way to the Republican nomination. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Arizona in 2016 to capture the state’s 11 electoral votes. 

In 2020, despite multiple visits, Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in Arizona by fewer than 11,000 votes. He returned for additional rallies after his presidency, often lamenting a “stolen” and “rigged” election. 

In 2024, Trump again has ramped up his time in Arizona as he makes another run for the presidency, this time taking on Vice President Kamala Harris. 

— Ronald J. Hansen 

Who is leading in the polls in Arizona?

It’s hard to say which presidential candidate, Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris, is ahead in Arizona, generally regarded as one of the nation’s seven swing states in the 2024 election.

Recent public polling has run from Harris ahead by 5 percentage points to Trump leading by 4.

By comparison, Trump led every public poll involving him and Biden in Arizona tracked by the nonpartisan website FiveThirtyEight in June and July, sometimes by double digits.

The reality is the shake-up of the Democratic ticket, followed by the party’s national convention, has likely boosted Harris’ standing in the polls. The convention ends Thursday, and public opinion could be more stable after that, at least until the rivals’ Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia.

Pollsters won’t have a clean look at public opinion for at least another week, leaving the state’s uncertain status unchanged for at least a few more days.

The major political ratings organizations all list Arizona as a toss-up at the moment.

— Ronald J. Hansen

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Publish date : 2024-08-22 18:46:00

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