Former President Donald Trump returns to Arizona on Friday for a major rally in Glendale as he tries to build campaign momentum at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. Trump spoke at a border security-themed event in Cochise County on Thursday.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also will be in the Phoenix area on Friday, and he is scheduled to speak about his “path forward.” Late Thursday, Kennedy filed to withdraw his name from Arizona’s Nov. 5 ballot.
Trump’s campaign mentioned the rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale would feature an unnamed “special guest.”
Follow live coverage from Arizona Republic reporters of former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Before his rally in Glendale on Friday afternoon, Donald Trump will speak at a restaurant in Las Vegas about noon to discuss his campaign promise to not tax tips. Trump flew to Las Vegas after his Arizona border visit on Thursday afternoon.
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. late Thursday filed to withdraw his name from Arizona’s Nov. 5 ballot, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office confirmed to The Arizona Republic.
Kennedy filed to withdraw around 5:30 p.m., according to JP Martin, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Speculation has swirled about Kennedy considering ending his campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
Kennedy is scheduled to speak Friday in Phoenix about his “path forward.” Later in the day, Trump is holding a rally with an unnamed “special guest” at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
— Stephanie Murray
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday it arrested a man who authorities say made threats on social media against former President Donald Trump.
“The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of threatening statements made via social media by the subject Ronald Syvrud towards candidate Trump,” Carol Capas, a department spokesperson, told The Arizona Republic. “As a result, additional information was developed confirming outstanding warrants for this subject, and a subsequent public release was issued.”
Trump made a stop Thursday at the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County. He told the media there that he was unaware of the then-ongoing manhunt for Syvrud.
“But no, I haven’t heard that but I’m not that surprised,” Trump said. “And the reason is I want to do things that are very bad for the bad guys. I have heard that it’s very unsafe to make this trip. There were some people who really didn’t want me to make it.”
Syvrud, 66, of Benson, had “outstanding warrants from the state of Wisconsin for DUI/Failure to Appear for DUI and from Graham County Arizona for Hit/Run and Felony Failure to Register as a Sex Offender,” the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
— Perry Vandell
Arizona Democrats dismissed former President Donald Trump’s appearance Thursday in Cochise County as a “border stunt.”
The state Democratic Party in a written statement said Trump went to the U.S.-Mexico border “to take attention away from Democrats hosting one of the largest political rallies in our state’s history and a Democratic Convention where Arizona Democrats solidified our status as the future of the party.”
The Democrats also highlighted what they called Trump’s “long record of demonizing immigrants, promising mass deportations, and killing bipartisan solutions that would help border states like Arizona.”
Trump’s role in torpedoing a bipartisan Senate border compromise has been a constant line of attack from Democrats. Trump urged Republicans to reject the deal so as not to give President Joe Biden an election-year legislative victory.
The state party also recalled Trump’s odd decision to kiss former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on stage at an event earlier this year at Dream City Church in Phoenix.
“I don’t kiss men. But I kissed him,” Trump said at the time.
As president, Trump pardoned Arpaio, an anti-immigration hardliner who in 2017 had been convicted of criminal contempt of court as part of a long-running case involving racial profiling by his agency.
— Dan Nowicki
President Donald Trump’s campaign on Thursday announced that an unnamed “special guest” would join Trump on Friday at his afternoon rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
The announcement comes amid speculation that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to bow out of the race and endorse Trump.
Kennedy, the son of slain 1968 Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, is expected to make his own late morning appearance Friday in Phoenix where he will discuss his “path forward.”
Asked at an Arizona border stop about the Kennedy speculation, Trump said there were no plans for Kennedy to appear with him in Glendale.
Trump called Kennedy “smart” and “a little bit different but that’s OK.”
Later, the Trump campaign said in a written statement: “President Trump will be joined by a special guest as he delivers remarks about his America First policies and his vision to lower inflation and the cost of living, secure the border, and make our cities safe again.”
Announced guest speakers at the Trump rally include Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk; Senate candidate Kari Lake; U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs, Eli Crane and Paul Gosar; congressional candidate Abe Hamadeh; and Maricopa County sheriff candidate Jerry Sheridan.
— Dan Nowicki and Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump, speaking at the Arizona-Mexico border, addressed a Cochise County manhunt for a person suspected of making threats against him.
Responding to a question from the media, Trump said he was unaware of the situation.
“I’ve heard it’s dangerous, but I also have a job to do. I heard it’s very dangerous. I haven’t heard about that,” Trump said. “They probably want to keep it from me. Thank you for telling me.”
Trump added that he has “great respect” for the Secret Service, which came under bipartisan fire last month after Trump was wounded in a July 13 assassination attempt.
“Mistakes were made, and they’re going to learn from the mistakes,” he said.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Arizona Republic Thursday that they were searching for Ronald Syvrud, a 66-year-old Benson resident, after it “was made aware of threatening statements made via social media.”
“But no, I haven’t heard that but I’m not that surprised,” Trump said. “And the reason is I want to do things that are very bad for the bad guys. I have heard that it’s very unsafe to make this trip. There were some people who really didn’t want me to make it.”
— Dan Nowicki, Stephanie Murray and Perry Vandell
Trump said he hasn’t spoken recently with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. but acknowledged speculation that Kennedy may drop out of the race Friday. That would be a great honor, Trump said.
Trump noted the pair will both be in Arizona tomorrow but said there are no plans for Kennedy to appear at his rally in Glendale.
Trump called Kennedy “smart” and “a little bit different but that’s O.K.”
— Stephanie Murray
Former President Donald Trump began his remarks at the border by knocking President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The former president addressed reporters with law enforcement officials and families of victims of crimes committed by people who crossed the border illegally.
Trump referred to Harris as a “Marxist” and claimed she wants “open borders.” He gave his speech at an unfinished portion of the border wall in Cochise County, and often gestured to pieces of the wall piled nearby.
“It could have been put up in a matter of weeks,” Trump said, calling the barrier the “Rolls-Royce” of walls.
He was joined by the family of Rachel Morin, who was raped and murdered in 2023 in Maryland. An immigrant from El Salvador was arrested and charged in connection with the crimes.
— Stephanie Murray
Donald Trump arrived at the southern border shortly after noon Thursday. He was joined by campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, along with Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.
The former president exited his motorcade and met with Cochise County officials at the border wall.
He was wearing a blue suit and red tie.
— Stephanie Murray
Trump, a harsh critic of Obama and his time in office, actually offered some rare praise for his predecessor while speaking to reporters Tuesday. That praise? Trump referred to the 44th president as a “nice gentleman” whom he happens to “like and respect,” in an interview with CNN. 
“I thought he was a terrible president. He didn’t do the job. He let people take advantage of us on trade,” Trump said while on the campaign trail in Michigan. “Especially trade — he was very weak on trade. But I happen to like him. I respect him and his wife.” 
Trump was not too thrilled with Barack and Michelle Obama’s comments at the national convention. 
“Did you see Barack Hussein Obama last night take shots? He was taking shots at your president,” Trump said at a rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday, the day after the Obamas spoke at the Democratic National Convention. 
The use of Obama’s full name harkens back to Trump’s promotion of the “birther” conspiracy, a false claim about Obama’s birthplace that Trump eventually walked back in 2016. 
“He was very nasty last night. I try to be nice to people you know, but it gets a little tough when they get personal,” Trump continued. 
Trump mentioned that his campaign advisers tried to keep him from getting “personal” and to stick with policy talk. He asked the crowd if he should follow that advice or get personal. The crowd responded wanting him to get personal. 
— Joyce Orlando, USA TODAY  
Awaiting Donald Trump’s visit to Arizona, Secret Service agents, Cochise County sheriff officers and other law enforcement lined a dirt road leading to the U.S.-Mexico border. The former president was set to arrive at Sierra Vista Municipal Airport on Thursday morning, tour a portion of the border near Coronado National Monument and speak with the press.— Stephanie Murray and Sarah Lapidus
Donald Trump will hit the campaign trail in Glendale on Friday, holding a rally at the same venue where Kamala Harris drew a crowd of 15,000 people earlier this month.  
It’s the perfect opportunity for a crowd size comparison.  
The Republican former president is under pressure to upstage Harris by packing Desert Diamond Arena with a huge crowd. It’s a comparison of his own making: Trump has been disputing the size of Harris’ fired-up campaign crowds lately, even falsely claiming she used artificial intelligence because her sea of supporters was so large at a recent event.  
The event marks Trump’s first large-scale campaign event in battleground Arizona since Harris became the Democratic nominee. Trump had a comfortable lead over President Joe Biden in the state, but the race has tightened now that Harris is his opponent.  
“Until Kamala Harris took the top of the ticket, Trump was known for throwing the better party,” said Stacey Pearson, a Phoenix Democratic political consultant.  
The size of a rally is not an indicator of who will win an election, but a campaign crowd can provide a peek into how enthusiastic voters are about a particular candidate. That’s notable in Arizona, where Biden had struggled to get voters excited to turn out before he left the race.  
— Stephanie Murray 
For years, Arizona has been one of former President Donald Trump’s favorite spots to campaign. 
He was a frequent visitor in 2015 and 2016 on his way to the Republican nomination. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Arizona in 2016 to capture the state’s 11 electoral votes. 
In 2020, despite multiple visits, Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in Arizona by fewer than 11,000 votes. He returned for additional rallies after his presidency, often lamenting a “stolen” and “rigged” election. 
In 2024, Trump again has ramped up his time in Arizona as he makes another run for the presidency, this time taking on Vice President Kamala Harris. 
— Ronald J. Hansen 
It’s hard to say which presidential candidate, Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris, is ahead in Arizona, generally regarded as one of the nation’s seven swing states in the 2024 election.
Recent public polling has run from Harris ahead by 5 percentage points to Trump leading by 4.
By comparison, Trump led every public poll involving him and Biden in Arizona tracked by the nonpartisan website FiveThirtyEight in June and July, sometimes by double digits.
The reality is the shake-up of the Democratic ticket, followed by the party’s national convention, has likely boosted Harris’ standing in the polls. The convention ends Thursday, and public opinion could be more stable after that, at least until the rivals’ Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia.
Pollsters won’t have a clean look at public opinion for at least another week, leaving the state’s uncertain status unchanged for at least a few more days.
The major political ratings organizations all list Arizona as a toss-up at the moment.
— Ronald J. Hansen