Phoenix mayor to President Trump: Postpone your rally
Mayor Greg Stanton said, "Our nation is still healing" from Charlottesville.
— -- The mayor of Phoenix has a message for the president: Stay away.
Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally Tuesday at the Phoenix Convention Center, but that isn't sitting well with Mayor Greg Stanton.
"I am disappointed that President Trump has chosen to hold a campaign rally as our nation is still healing from the tragic events in Charlottesville," Stanton said in a statement Wednesday. "If President Trump is coming to Phoenix to announce a pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, then it will be clear that his true intent is to enflame tensions and further divide our nation."
Stanton bluntly said, "It is my hope that more sound judgment prevails and that he delays his visit."
But a senior campaign adviser told ABC News Wednesday night, "Barring any unforseen events between now and then, there is no chance we will delay the rally," aide said.
Stanton does acknowledge, though, that free speech prevails in this country, so Trump is free to do as he pleases.
"With regard to use of the Phoenix Convention Center for the rally: This is a public facility and open to anyone to rent, including the Trump campaign," he said. "Our Constitution protects the right to free speech, even for those we disagree with or those who don't represent the values we hold dear as a community."
Forty-two minutes after Stanton tweeted his statement, Trump tweeted a link to reserve tickets to the rally, writing, "Join me at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 22nd in Phoenix, Arizona at the Phoenix Convention Center!"