Phoenix church sees protestors, cheers, high-profile visitors ahead of Trump speech
The air was buzzing in Phoenix with the sounds of bustling traffic and protesters as Turning Point Action kicked off its "Build the Red Wall" rally.
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PHOENIX — The air was buzzing in Phoenix with the sounds of bustling traffic, cheering Trump supporters and chanting protesters as Turning Point Action kicked off its “Build the Red Wall” rally.
Although doors opened at 9 a.m., people were at the scene of Dream City Church hours before. One woman, who gave only her first name, was even there the night before.
“My daughter and I, we actually got here around 9:30 p.m. last night. We actually slept in our car last night,” Jessica told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “We’ve been here since then, and we’ve prepped. I brought two things of coffee and, yeah, snacks and everything!”
However, there were also people who were less happy to be there.
One protestor, Jeff Northrup, told @ColtonKrolak he can’t believe people are defending Trump after the president posted an AI image of himself as a Christlike figure, then claimed it was of him as a doctor.
Jeff described Trump’s supporters as “people who are totally void of… pic.twitter.com/3Ee73ByO9Q
— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) April 17, 2026
One was Jeff Northrup, an outspoken advocate who has been featured in The Arizona Republic and inMaricopa for his protests.
“These are just people who are totally void of critical thinking,” he said of Trump supporters.
While the atmosphere between Trump supporters and protestors was mostly peaceful in the early morning, things became testier around 9 a.m., which was when doors opened.
There were crowds of people holding signs and shouting accusations at Trump, who is headlining the rally.
In fact, when Arizona gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs appeared, several people cheered.
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs was greeted by cheers and applause when he showed up to Dream City Church for Turning Point Action’s event. pic.twitter.com/AwIZowWVUx
— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) April 17, 2026
Biggs was one of five Arizona Republicans hitting the campaign trail this election season set to speak at the rally. The others were:
- Rep. Andy Biggs, who currently represents Phoenix’s East Valley in AZ-05. He is running for governor and has Trump’s endorsement.
- Rep. Eli Crane, who represents the wide-spanning AZ-02. He is an incumbent running for re-election.
- Rep. Abe Hamadeh, who represents Phoenix’s West Vally in AZ-08. He is running for re-election.
- Rep. Paul Gosar, who represents the rural western part of the state in AZ-09. He is running for re-election.
- Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who represents southern Arizona in AZ-06. He is running for re-election.
Tension outside eased once people started settling in. It was a big crowd.
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One mother from north Phoenix, Lindsey Butts, let her daughter skip school so she could see the president and Erika Kirk speak at the rally.
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Another rally attendee, local actor Ruben Bugayong looked forward to seeing Trump speak for a second time, having previously watched the president talk at Charlie Kirk’s memorial in September 2025. Bugayong expressed pride in Trump getting the Strait of Hormuz open and holding Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accountable.
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Trump landed in Phoenix around 2 p.m.
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During the president’s speech he further endorsed Biggs, saying while he would be missed from Congress he’ll make a great governor.
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The president also talked about Iran, stating that the U.S. would “remain in full force” there until an agreement is signed.
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In addition, the crowd at Dream City Church erupted in boos when Trump mentioned that NATO had reached out to offer the U.S. help with the conflict in Iran.
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KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Kylie Werner contributed to this report.
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