Here’s what we know about President Trump’s trip to Arizona on Tuesday
Jun 22, 2020, 11:51 AM | Updated: Jun 23, 2020, 7:18 am
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
PHOENIX — Donald Trump is headed to Arizona on Tuesday, his second stop since resuming campaign events.
The president will start his trip in Yuma, where he’ll receive a briefing on border wall construction and take part in a roundtable discussion with local leaders and community members on border security.
After the roundtable, Trump will tour the border wall.
The visit will mark the completion of the 200th mile of the border wall system between the U.S. and Mexico.
The president will be joined by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan and other officials.
The stop marks the first time the president has been back to the border in Yuma since 2017.
After his Yuma visit, Trump will then head to Phoenix for a speaking engagement.
Trump is scheduled to speak in north Phoenix at 3:40 p.m. at the Students for Trump Convention at Dream City Church (13613 N. Cave Creek Road).
Special guests for the event include Sen. Martha McSally, Gov. Doug Ducey, and Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs. Reps. Jody Hice (R-GA), Doug Lamalfa (R-CA) and Dan Bishop (R-NC) will also be present through live video.
The Phoenix Police Department has designated the sidewalk just north and just south of the main entrance on Cave Creek Road as an area for free speech.
Austin Smith, national field director of Students for Trump and Turning Point Action, told KTAR News 92.3 FM he expects about 4,000 people to be in the audience for the event.
Smith said masks will be provided at the door and they are encouraged, but they are not mandatory.
In a statement Monday, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego challenged Trump and other leaders to wear a mask at the event.
She also reinforced that the city doesn’t intend to hand out citations, but will rather make a push on mask education.
“We’ve seen tremendous compliance with the mask ordinance that went into effect this weekend,” Gallego said.
“Everyone attending tomorrow’s event, particularly any elected official, should set an example to residents by wearing a mask. This includes the President.”
The Arizona visit marks the second stop in the past week for the president, having held a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday.
The president’s last visit to the state was May 5, when he visited a Honeywell facility that manufactures N95 face masks and participated in a roundtable on Native American issues.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Martha Maurer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.