An estimated 8,000 Arizonans and a large police presence descended on the Phoenix Convention Center earlier this afternoon to hear Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump campaign.
Trump’s visit follows a rally featuring his son Donald Trump Jr. earlier in the week. and recent visits from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and First Lady Michelle Obama who campaigned for Hillary Clinton .
Clinton is expected to appear in Arizona this Wednesday as Arizona’s electoral votes remain in contention for both parties. Currently, 538 gives Trump a slight advantage forecasting he has a 51.3 percent chance of winning the state.
The Trump campaign has begun airing television advertisements in the state to make his case to Arizonans and keep the state red at the top of the ticket.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio spoke before Trump took the stage. The sheriff called for everyone in attendance to find ten people and get them to vote for Trump. “He won’t forget Arizona”, Arpaio said of Trump if elected.
Former Arizona Governor Janet Brewer called on the crowd to defeat Hillary Clinton and led a chant of “Build that Wall” as she recounted fighting with Obama over border security.
Jeff DeWit, Arizona state treasurer, was the first elected official to endorse Trump and is now a member of his campaign. “Trump will protect the second amendment,” DeWit said while firing a t-shirt cannon. DeWit ended his remarks by introducing Trump to the stage.
Trump took the stage to cheers and camera flashes. He immediately promised to stop the madness of Obamacare. Which he said will increase AZ health care premiums by 116 percent.
“We will have so many plans you do not even know it yet, here will be so much competition,” Trump said of his plan to replace Obamacare.
Trump led the crowd in a series of boos at the media lined along the wall for not panning their camera to show the size of the crowd.
“We are winning Arizona big,” Trump declared. ”The American voter has had it with Obamacare and Clinton will double down on it.”
The crowd responded with extended chants of “Lock Her Up.”
“I am asking for your vote,” Trump said.
Trump asked for help in getting rid of the corruption in Washington as well. The crowd began chanting “Drain the Swamp.”
Trump declared Clinton’s mounting legal difficulties are worse than Watergate.
“She set up a server to shield her criminal activity from the public,” Trump said. “She put our national security and your children at risk.”
“Lock her up” chants began as Trump elaborated the details of the Clinton email scandal and Wikileaks. “Hillary would put the Oval Office up for sale,” Trump claimed.
Trump accused the Department of Justice of protecting Clinton and that a lot of people feel that Attorney General Lynch was bribed with a reappointment by Bill Clinton on the AZ tarmac.
Trump believes the reopening of the FBI investigation into Clinton’s emails are indicative of presidentially disqualifying evidence.
“When the powerful can get away with anything because they have the money to rig the system, people loss hope in our system,” Trump said over cheers of “USA”.
“The only way we are going to beat the crooks is we have to show up to vote,” Trump said continuing the rallies’ theme of getting the republicans out to vote in the state.
“We are the movement of the future, I will never let you down,” Trump ended before walking off stage. “We are a divided nation we will not be divided any longer. We will make America great again.”
A Twitter List by dailywildcat
Follow Randall Eck on Twitter.