Donald Trump scouting Phoenix area for possible policy speech site

PHOENIX — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may soon make his fifth campaign stop in the Phoenix area.

The city of Mesa confirmed Tuesday that Trump’s campaign had inquired about a venue that could hold 500 or more people for a policy speech on Aug. 31.

Mesa said it did not have any available spaces, but referred the campaign to hotels and resorts in the area.

Should Trump follow through with the visit, it would be the second time his campaign visits Arizona during August. His vice presidential candidate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, hosted a town hall at the Phoenix Convention Center on Aug. 2.

Trump’s campaign COO Jeff DeWit downplayed the site search when speaking with KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes.

“The campaign is constantly scouting multiple cities at all times for venues and for sites,” he said. “It comes down to pricing, availability and everything.

“There are many venues, all over the country, that are contacted daily — and I mean probably dozens — just to keep track, keep tabs on where places are.”

A Trump spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the campaign was exploring Mesa as a possible location for a speech.

There is a possibility Trump could use a visit to the Phoenix metro area to further layout his immigration plan, something that has been in the news in recent days.

At a December event in Mesa, Trump said if the illegal immigration process is not halted, Americans will lose the country.

“If we don’t stop [illegal immigration], we don’t have a country,” he told a crowd of thousands inside an airport hangar at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

Trump has visited the Valley four times since beginning his campaign for the White House last year.

The events have drawn large crowds of both supporters and protesters.

KTAR’s Mike Sackley contributed to this report.

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