President Donald Trump courts Hispanic voters in Phoenix
Sep 14, 2020, 4:47 PM | Updated: Sep 16, 2020, 1:19 pm
President Donald Trump points to the crowd as he arrives to participate in a Latinos for Trump Coalition roundtable Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — President Donald Trump spoke in Phoenix on Monday afternoon at an event aimed at courting Hispanic voters, touting his support for the minority group in the battleground state.
Trump hosted a Latinos for Trump roundtable event at the Arizona Grand Resort featuring several notable speakers including Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno.
“You’re an amazing group of people and we’re never going to let you down,” Trump said during the roundtable.
Several Latino speakers offered their support for Trump and praised the president.
Ducey also spoke on behalf of Trump, who spent about three hours in the state.
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“The constitutional rights of Arizonans are going to be protected,” Ducey said. “They’ve been protected the entire time. They’re nonnegotiable.”
It was the president’s fifth visit to Arizona during the election cycle and first to Phoenix since hosting a Students for Trump event on June 23.
Trump was most recently in Arizona on Aug. 18 when he visited the border wall and hosted a campaign event in Yuma.
KTAR Reporter @Ali_Vetnar spoke to attendees outside of the Trump campaign event in Phoenix earlier today. pic.twitter.com/1yOjn7QHcB
— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) September 14, 2020
The Phoenix appearance was part of a busy day for Trump.
The president earlier in the day traveled to California for a briefing on the wildfires affecting the West Coast.
Trump was also in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the multi-state trip.
Arizona is considered a battleground state and Trump’s challenger, Democrat Joe Biden, has held a slight lead in polling over recent months.
Doors should open any minute now ahead of @realDonaldTrump’s campaign event in Phoenix this afternoon. I’m told @SecretService is making its final security sweep now. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/5dRjK1Tfw0
— Ali Vetnar (@Ali_Vetnar) September 14, 2020
An OH Predictive Insights survey released Monday put Biden up 52%-42% after Trump had closed the gap in two consecutive monthly polls.
Trump trailed 49%-45% in an August poll, and 49%-44% in July. Biden’s previous best showing was 50%-43% in May.
On Trump’s worst day in Arizona polling, “he hasn’t dipped below 43%,” OH Predictive Insights chief researcher Mike Noble told KTAR News 92.3 FM, “until today.”
The president’s trip was the start of a busy week for Republican leaders in Arizona.
On Monday morning, Vice President Mike Pence announced he is coming to town Friday to participate in a Libre Initiative Roundtable for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Pence will also take part in a Veterans for Trump event during the campaign trip.
Later Monday, the Trump campaign announced that Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and a staff adviser, will be in Phoenix on Wednesday to participate in a roundtable about family issues with Ducey.
Democrats have also put an emphasis recently on reaching Arizona voters.
Biden has said he plans to campaign in Arizona after Labor Day but he has not announced a date for a visit.
His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, held a virtual event for teachers last week.
His running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, also held an Arizona-focused event online over the weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
