Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters in Tucson
Senate candidate Kari Lake, former President Donald Trump and Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda spoke to a crowd gathered in Tucson.
Former President Donald Trump’s first post-debate campaign event was Thursday in Tucson, focusing on housing and the economy in Arizona’s second-largest city.
The trip marked Trump’s second visit to battleground Arizona in the past month, and it came less than two days after he competed with Vice President Kamala Harris on the debate stage Tuesday night.
Trump appeared at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall for a 2 p.m. rally, according to his campaign.
The second gentleman Doug Emhoff was holding a competing political event in Tucson on the same day. The visit marks Emhoff’s first trip to Tucson of the 2024 election cycle. He has previously visited Phoenix.
Follow coverage from Republic reporters of former President Donald Trump’s campaign visit to Tucson and other political events of the day.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke about the risk to reproductive rights posed by former President Donald Trump, and how his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, is ready to be president.
He spoke for 27 minutes Thursday to supporters at a campaign event in Tucson, where earlier in the day Trump headlined a rally at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.
Emhoff took the stage to a standing ovation and chants of “Doug!”
Emhoff attacked Trump and highlighted what he characterized as an extremist agenda that is trying to dismantle women’s reproductive rights.
“We can vote our way out of this,” he said.
He walked off to Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.”
— Sarah Lapidus
About a dozen members of a pro-Palestinian group demonstrated across the street from the downtown Tucson event center where second gentleman Doug Emhoff appeared Thursday.
The protest of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ handling of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza was promoted on Instagram by an account called az2palestine.
“Killer Kamala must be tired of talking over her constituents – she’s sent her husband to do her dirty work on the campaign trail,” the Instagram post said. “While she’s been busy focusing on her #bratsummer, her administration continues to reign (rain) terror on families in Gaza.
“We demand that Biden/Harris comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice and enact an immediate arms embargo.”
Early on during the proceedings the group of demonstrators were either removed or left on their own.
— Sarah Lapidus
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was set to appear before a standing-room-only audience of about 450 people at an event center near the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson.
Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva told the excited crowd that this is the biggest fight they have ever seen and that women’s reproductive rights are on the line in the Nov. 5 election.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero discussed what is at stake this election if Republican Donald Trump is elected again.
A speaker from the group men4choice also talked.
— Sarah Lapidus
Shortly before 5:30 p.m., second gentleman Doug Emhoff landed at the Executive Air terminal at the Tucson International Airport for the Harris-Walz campaign.
On the tarmac, he greeted local officials including Tucson mayor Regina Romero, Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Adelita Grijalva, Tohono O’odham Nation Chair Verlon Jose and Tohono O’odham Vice Chair Carla Johnson.
He was transported in a motorcade to a speaking event in central Tucson focused on reproductive freedom, according to the Harris campaign.
— Sarah Lapidus
Former President Donald Trump spoke at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson for more than an hour on Thursday.
He ended his remarks by pledging to keep men out of women’s sports and criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris’ “liberal agenda.”
Trump walked off the stage to the 1978 Village People anthem “Y.M.C.A.,” waving to attendees and occasionally dancing.
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump, speaking in Tucson, pledged to “rapidly reduce inflation by slashing energy costs” during his remarks on housing and the economy.
Trump promised to bring mortgage rates down to 2% and said he will “ban all mortgages for illegal aliens.”
He pointed to a man in the crowd who secured a mortgage when rates were lower and praised him, but noted other people were not as lucky.
Trump criticized the rise in energy costs in Arizona and promised to cut costs by 50% in his first year of a second term.
“You’re number one in the country for the increase in your electric bills. What the hell is going on?” Trump said. “As president, I will end the Harris-Biden war on American energy.”
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump, delivering remarks on the economy and housing in Tucson, said if elected he would end taxes on overtime pay.
“I’m also announcing that as part of our additional tax cuts we will end all taxes on overtime.”
He also talked up his previously announced intention to end taxes on tips.
“It’s time for the working man and woman to finally catch a break and that’s what we’re doing,” Trump said. “If you’re an overtime worker, if you’re past 40 hours a week … your overtime hours will be tax free.”
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump doubled down on false claims that immigrants are eating house pets in Ohio, a point that came up Tuesday during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
City officials in Springfield, Ohio, a community that has seen in recent years an influx of 15,000 to 20,000 immigrants from Haiti, say there are no reports of immigrants eating cats or dogs in the area.
“Twenty-thousand illegal Haitian immigrants have descended on a town of 58,000 people, destroying their way of life. This was a beautiful community, now it’s ah —“ Trump said, leaving his sentence unfinished.
“Residents are reporting that the migrants are walking off with the town’s geese. They’re taking the geese. You know where the geese are, in the park. And even walking off with their pets,” Trump said.
“‘My dog’s been taken.’ This can only happen. These people are the worst, I’m telling you. Biden and Kamala, this is the worst combination in the history of our country,” Trump said. “The only one happy is Jimmy Carter because he’s no longer referred to as the worst president. Not even close.”
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump gave a shoutout — and a new nickname — for Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, whom he has endorsed.
Trump applauded her toughness on border-security topics.
“She may be angry, she may never speak to me again, but I’m going to give her a different name,” Trump said, debuting her new nickname: “Border Kari Lake.”
“Thank you, Border Kari,” Trump said, laughing.
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump immediately addressed his debate against Kamala Harris when he arrived at the podium.
The crowd booed the ABC News debate moderators, whom Trump criticized for fact-checking him and not Harris.
“We had a monumental victory over comrade Kamala Harris,” Trump said.
Trump made a point to address an exchange over abortion during the debate, reiterating his false claim that some states allow abortions “even after birth.”
Trump also pushed back on Harris’ claim that Republicans want to track pregnancies.
“I don’t want to do that,” Trump said. “Women, I won’t be following you around to the hospital.”
He also complained that the moderators didn’t correct Harris when she linked him to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 agenda, which he said he hasn’t read and has disavowed.
Trump said he won’t square off against Harris again.
“There will be no third debate,” Trump said, to applause. “It’s too late anyway. The voting’s already begun.”
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, took the stage in Tucson at 2:14 p.m.
He entered to the song “God Bless the USA” and stood onstage while the crowd cheered.
Signs behind the former president read “MAKE HOUSING AFFORDABLE AGAIN” and “NO TAX ON TIPS.”
— Stephanie Murray
Republican Senate nominee Kari Lake painted a dark picture of Tucson, decrying “horrible city leadership” during her remarks ahead of Trump’s speech.
The crowd booed when she mentioned Rep. Ruben Gallego, her Democratic opponent, and President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Tucson is tired of being put on the back burner. Tucson is tired of the crime and tired of the homeless crisis. This town is so ripe for success that I can feel it in the air every time I come down here. And sadly it’s one of those cases where you can see what bad leadership brings you,” Lake said.
Lake, a former Phoenix TV news anchor, put her focus on the price of housing in Arizona in making her pitch for Republicans, a preview of what Trump is expected to address later in the afternoon.
“Let’s say hasta la vista to Kamala. Let’s say adios to Ruben. And let’s vote for Donald Trump,” Lake said.
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign stop in Tucson brought out supporters from all over the state. Despite the sunny day and minimal shade at parts of the line, his supporters persisted in hopes of getting inside the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.
“Hey, did Trump take a bullet for us? I can stand outside in 105-degree weather for a couple of hours.” said Brian Blessing, who moved back to Tucson from San Diego three and half years ago.
“Even if he didn’t take a bullet for us,” said Jody Butts, a former Border Patrol agent. “Look what he did four years ago with the economy and with law enforcement.”
Butts and Blessing are concerned for the future of the country with an economy, they say, is failing Americans.
Jill Carson made the trip down from Surprise to Tucson to support the former president. Her and her husband recently moved to Arizona from Connecticut. Her biggest concern this election is also the economy. “I think it’s actually worse out here,” she said.
Her spending power at the grocery store has decreased, walking out with less food for more money.
“We used to go to the bakery, and we’d get black pumpernickel for 12.99,” Carson said. “Now, it’s like half the size at the same price.”
Tino Rodriguez, 39, drove from Phoenix with his daughter to sell water for those waiting in line. He saw a need for his side hustle when he attended a rally in metro Phoenix.
“I know people (were) passing out over there, so we got to come over here and help out our Trump supporters,” he said.
Rodriguez brought eight cases of water bottles with him. By 11:30 a.m., he had already gone through two of them.
— Raphael Romero Ruiz
Trump supporters in Tucson say debate moderators were unfair to him
Supporters attending Donald Trump’s rally in Tucson said his performance at Tuesday’s debate could have been better, but they blamed the moderators and the format at ABC News.
“I thought there was some unfairness on how the moderators were towards him. I think it was obvious,” said Danny de la Torre of San Manuel.
He describes himself as a liberal who voted for Biden in 2020, but this year is switching to vote for Trump. De la Torre cited the economy, immigration and abortion as the most important issues for him.
He wore a “Latinos for Trump” shirt while waiting in line to enter the rally on Thursday.
“Slowly, paying attention to what the Democrats say, what they believe in, what they’re trying to put on the citizens of each country, I just don’t believe agree with it anymore,” he said.
Anne Moore from Tucson agreed that inflation and rising prices were an issue. She felt Trump was the better person to address it. But she lamented that didn’t come through during the debate.
“I was hoping he would do better, but he had three people coming at him,” she said.
She pointed out that the ABC moderators only fact-checked Trump during the debate, and agreed with the former president that it was unclear who was coming into the country.
“It was just frustrating. It should be a fair debate,” Moore added. “Anyone who watched, even my Democrat friend’s like, ‘I get what you mean about the bias from the media.'”
Tucson resident Livan Alexandro de Lira felt Trump brought up many good points during the debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s true. If she wanted to make a change, she would’ve done it four years ago, three years. But we’ve seen no change,” he said.
— Rafael Carranza
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign countered Donald Trump’s visit to Tucson with a new television ad focused on abortion rights, an issue that is expected to play well for Democrats this election cycle amid GOP-led restrictions on the procedure.
The ad replays a moment from this week’s presidential debate when Trump took credit for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, saying he “did a great service” in doing so and “it took courage.”
And it replays Harris’ response, set to emotional music.
“I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body, should not be made by the government,” she said.
You can watch the ad here.
— Laura Gersony
Donald Trump and RFK Jr. teamed up at a rally in Glendale
In Donald Trump’s last visit to the state on Aug. 23, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presence added a burst of energy to the full house at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, where Republicans matched the turnout the Democratic ticket drew to the same venue two weeks earlier.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee and former president, retooled his message to “get personal” in attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee after she and other Democrats pummeled him throughout their four-day national convention in Chicago.
— Ronald J. Hansen and Stephanie Murray
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Publish date : 2024-09-12 15:23:00
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