President Trump flew to Phoenix yesterday to hold a late night rally. During the rally to about 10,000 supporters, the President covered a wide range of topics blaming both the media and the congress for the nation’s ills.
Here are some of the early headlines, and a look at the latest polls. A complete video of the President’ speech is at the bottom of this post.
Bloomberg TV: Bloomberg’s Toluse Olorunnipa discusses President Trump’s speech in Phoenix, AZ. He speaks with David Westin on “Bloomberg Daybreak: Americas.”
New York Times: At Rally, Trump Blames Media for Country’s Deepening Divisions
President Trump, stung by days of criticism that he sowed racial division in the United States after deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Va., accused the news media on Tuesday of misrepresenting what he insisted was his prompt, unequivocal condemnation of bigotry and hatred.
After declaring, “What happened in Charlottesville strikes at the core of America,” Mr. Trump delivered a lengthy, aggrieved defense of his statements after the Aug. 12 violence that left one woman dead and the nation reeling at the images of swastikas in Thomas Jefferson’s hometown.
Washington Post: Trump threatens shutdown, suggests controversial pardon at Arizona rally
President Trump on Tuesday threatened to shut down the government over border wall funding, said the North American Free Trade Agreement is likely to be terminated and signaled that he was prepared to pardon former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is anathema to the Latino community.
Trump’s freewheeling comments came at a boisterous campaign rally here during which he also went on an extended diatribe about the media, blaming reporters for the negative fallout he has received over his responses to the hate-fueled violence in Charlottesville.
TheHill: The Memo: Seven takeaways from Trump’s Arizona speech
President Trump travelled to Arizona Tuesday for a campaign-style rally that drew a near-capacity crowd to the Phoenix Convention Center and brought protestors onto the streets outside.
The occasion was sharply different from Trump’s speech the previous evening announcing that the United States would not be withdrawing from Afghanistan anytime soon.
What were the major takeaways?
| Tuesday, August 22 |
| Race/Topic | Poll | Results | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| President Trump Job Approval | Gallup | Approve 35, Disapprove 60 | Disapprove +25 |
| President Trump Job Approval | Rasmussen Reports | Approve 43, Disapprove 56 | Disapprove +13 |
RealClearPolitics: Protests Turn Unruly After Trump’s Phoenix Speech
A day of noisy but largely peaceful protests of President Donald Trump’s speech in Phoenix turned unruly as police fired pepper spray at crowds after someone apparently lobbed rocks and bottles at officers.
A haze enveloped the night sky Tuesday as protesters and police clashed outside the convention center where Trump had just wrapped up his speech. People fled the scene coughing as an officer in a helicopter bellowed through a speaker urging protesters to leave the area.
