The Republic | azcentral.com

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has several Phoenix stops planned Saturday, which ends with a public rally.

Check back with this blog all day for updates, videos, and photos from protesters and supporters.

6:12 p.m.: Trump airborne

Trump has departed Sky Harbor International Airport.

State Treasurer Jeff DeWit and his wife, Marina DeWit, left the motorcade and waited and watched Trump's plane take off from inside the Swift Terminal.

After the plane left the ground at 6:12 p.m., Jeff DeWit said Trump's speech was "one of his best" and commended his public speaking skills.

DeWit, Trump's Arizona campaign chair, expressed no concerns about Trump's image with Latino voters in the state.

He said Trump is doing very well in polling with Latinos because he has focused his campaign on growing jobs, which is something all Americans are looking for.

-- Jessica Boehm

6:01 p.m.: DPS notes from Trump rally

According to Capt. Damon Cecil, the public information officer for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, there were two arrests involving alcohol consumption at Saturday's Trump rally. One man was ejected over his T-shirt that contained a vulgarity. The man refused to remove it or turn it inside out.

There were six medical calls, four of which were related to the heat. There was one motorcycle crash in the vicinity. And the other call was of unknown nature, Cecil said.

There were no guns confiscated, Cecil said.

The DPS estimated a crowd of 6,000 for a building that holds about 12,000.

-- Paul Giblin

5:29 p.m.: Trump exits the arena

Following his speech, Trump posed for photos and signed autographs with supporters who crowded the front of the stage.

Trump met with supporters for at least the running time of the songs, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Tell Me" by the Rolling Stones and "Tiny Dancer," by Elton John. Those songs played over the public address system after the rally, part of the classic rock songs that played before the rally.

After the speech, Joe Bjornsen, 17, said the speech gave him hope that Trump could bring about great change.

“I loved hearing Trump speak and seeing the protesters is comedic,” he said.

Bjornsen said he did not hear anything that Trump said that seemed racist. “The thing that may sound racist is that he wants to put the American people first.”

Bjornsen said he enjoyed some of the ideas of Democratic contender Sen. Bernie Sanders, but could not support him wholeheartedly. “He has great moral ideas,” Bjornsen said of Sanders, “but they are illogical.”

On 19th Avenue and McDowell Road, a group of Trump detractors continued to clash with supporters. Trump's speech could be heard playing live over a nearby radio. Police stood nearby in case the standoff became more than a heated argument.

George Soria was holding a communist flag as rally-goers filed out of the event, but said he would fly the ISIS flag if the flag shop had one.

"They didn't have an ISIS flag," he said. "No one does."

Americans have a right to fly whatever flag they want, Soria said, regardless of whether it's offensive. He said he thinks under Trump, things would be worse than it was under Communist rule.

"Once you lose your rights, you can't get 'em back," he said.

Bryan Scienza, who has been a Trump supporter for two months, argued for several minutes with the hammer and sickle-carrying protesters.

He said the communist flag is a sign of oppression, slavery and death.

"Even if you don't like Donald Trump, don't fly the communist flag. That flag died years ago," he said. "It's just embarrassing."

-- Macaela Bennett and Mary Katherine Wildeman

5:06 p.m.: Trump speech ends

Donald Trump ended his speech in Phoenix imagining taking phone calls as president from officials in Arizona complaining that the state's citizens were tired of the country winning so much.

Trump said he would tell those officials to call the thousands of Arizonans back and let them know that the winning would continue.

One of the attendees at the rally, Sam Dillwood, 19, said he was excited to cast his first vote for Trump. Dillwood said he appreciated hearing Trump promise large tax cuts.

“It was pretty rowdy in there,” he said, exiting the coliseum during Trump’s speech, “and a good time.”

Dillwood’s friend, Andre Maraoui, said he appreciated hearing Trump talk about the border wall.

“He’s really just being honest and that’s what we need,” Maraoui said.

-- Macaela Bennett and Richard Ruelas

4:40 p.m.: Trump says he'll do great 'with Mexicans'

Donald Trump, during his speech in Phoenix, predicted he would do well among Hispanic voters.

"We are going to do unbelievably well with Mexicans, with all Hispanics, with Latinos," he said. "We're going to do so well because we're bringing jobs back."

Trump said, "It's all about jobs. That's like the great medicine that makes us better."

4:29 p.m.: Trump's memories of Arizona

Donald Trump said he had fond memories of Arizona, where he held a rally in July 2015, in the first weeks of his campaign.

"Arizona was really my first big state," Trump said. "We had a tremendous crowd and I won't forget it."

Trump said he wondered whether anyone would show up for his rally. "And the place was packed," he said

4:22 p.m.: Trump takes the stage

Donald Trump walks onto the stage for his rally at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

4:00 p.m.: Trump in the building

State Treasurer Jeff DeWit tells the crowd, estimated by the Department of Public Safety at between 5,000 and 6,000 that Trump is in the building.

3:57 p.m.: Arpaio at rally

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio talked about the tepid endorsements for Trump from some Republicans.

“I thought when you endorse someone, you usually use the name,” he said. He said some Republicans simply say they will support the nominee. Arpaio said they should use Trump’s name.

Arpaio also criticized the media for picking apart Trump’s statements at rallies, saying that Trump is just trying to entertain the crowds at his rallies.

“Evidently, a lot of people don’t like him speaking his mind,” Arpaio said.

Arpaio also said that Trump called his wife’s, Ava, when he heard she was sick.

“He called my wife, not once, not twice, but three times,” Arpaio said. “That’s the way he is. He has a soft heart and he is a great person and I’m glad to stick by him.”

3:45 p.m.: Brewer, Begay, Gowan and Graham kick off Trump rally

The Donald Trump rally began inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum with speeches from Arizona politicians.

Carlyle Begay, a Navajo state senator, delivered the opening prayer.

Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the crowd had an important job to do. "We need to keep Arizona red," Brewer said.

Brewer said she was proud to be at the rally to support "the people's choice."

"Some say Mr. Trump doesn't have the temperament to be president," Brewer said. "Well, we all know that that's code for not one us."

Brewer said Trump was one of the "us" represented by the coliseum crowd. "He's one of us," she said. "one of us."

Arizona House Speaker David Gowan, clad in a cowboy hat, spoke before Brewer, praising Trump's immigration policies. "They break into homes (and) they loot," he said. "We need that fence up."

The state GOP chairman, Robert Graham, followed her.

3:12 p.m.: Arpaio and crowd builds inside; protest and smoke outside

A group of about two dozen Trump supporters and detractors were congregating at the northeast corner of 19th Avenue and McDowell Road.

Among them were a man who had been ejected earlier from the coliseum for wearing a T-shirt bearing a profane expression about Islam. One protester held a sign that said, “Go home racists,” while a woman in a burka held a sign saying “Stand up against Nazis, bigots and other White supremacists.”

As both sides shouted each other down, a half-dozen Phoenix police officers looked on in case things got out of hand.

Justin Rea and Anthony Delfino came to the Trump rally to protect other Trump supporters if a fight breaks out. Rea, 32, worked as a loss prevention detective at a store at the Biltmore.

When asked if they brought any defensive weapons, Rea smiled and said his dashing good looks were enough.

Rea, who once had to tackle a man in a parking lot who lifted Lacost jeans and shirts, said he planned to break up any fights he sees.

He and Delfino didn't plan to go inside and listen to Trump. Delfino had first been a Rand Paul supporter but voting for Trump was no issue.

"I'd vote for a toaster oven over Hillary Clinton," he said.

The Phoenix Fire Department said there was a car on fire at 23rd Avenue and McDowell Road. It caused grey smoke to be seen in the area.

Inside, the crowd cheered the arrival of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

-- Caitlin McGlade

2:58 p.m.: Protests and parking outside rally

An hour before Donald Trump was set to speak at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, there was still parking at the main lot.

Two women from the group Code Pink stood at the 19th Avenue gate. One, Virginia Hauflaire, 63, held a sign fashioned after a traffic stop sign, but pink. It read: Stop hate.

"I couldn't let him come to our state without letting him know I don't appreciate more hate coming here," Hauflaire said.

Hauflaire said every group of people has elements of good and bad in it, but Trump makes broad-brush assessments of groups that inspire hate.

"He's not a leader," she said. "I certainly hope he's not our leader."

Hauflaire said she was at the fairgrounds protesting Richard Nixon when he campaigned for president in 1974. She said at that protest she was joined by a group of veterans from the Vietnam War.

-- Garrett Mitchell

2:52 p.m.: Trump at fundraiser at former Goldwater home

Donald Trump has made his way to a Paradise Valley fundraiser.

There were no protesters on the road leading to the home, the former residence of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater.

2:39 p.m.: Rally described as "no energy"

Eric Eggebrecht, 43, and his wife, Belinda, 41, seemed surprised at the lack of enthusiasm outside the Trump rally, describing it as “no energy.”

The couple tried to attend Trump’s rally in Fountain Hills, but could not make it because of the traffic.

Eric Eggebrecht said he started considering Trump as a serious contender after the Republican race came down to the final candidates.

“He says what a lot of people want to say and are afraid of saying,” he said. “He’s refreshing.” Eggebrecht, though, said he doesn’t always agree with what Trump said and doubted he would win the general election in November.

-- Garrett Mitchell

2:27 p.m.: Heat exhaustion tally at 4

The Arizona Department of Public Safety saidthree people have been treated for heat exhaustion at the Trump rally itself and one person, a 10-year-old, was treated at Encanto Park where an anti-Trump "peace rally" took place.

According to DPS trooper Steve Powers, who was manning the 19th Avenue entrance, the most common item confiscated was umbrellas. People who brought in flags were asked to leave behind the poles.

-- Garrett Mitchell

2:24 p.m.: DeWit welcomes Trump

Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit, the chair of the state Trump campaign, came to the Swift Aviation terminal just after 1 p.m. to welcome the candidate to Phoenix.

DeWit said Trump's trip is "special" because it comes on the heels of Trump's one-year anniversary as a candidate.

He said he expects Trump to address the poor financial state of the country and opponent Hillary Clinton's failure as secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

"I think he's starting to laser focus on the fact we need to do things different," DeWit said, "and if we keep electing the same politicians over and over, nothing will ever change."

DeWit said there will likely be protesters but imagines they will be paid protesters who have no real problems with Trump.

DeWit said that when he greeted Trump on the tarmac he would tell him: "Welcome to Arizona and let's get inside some air conditioning quick."

-- Jessica Boehm

2:06 p.m.: Reporter yanked back by Trump campaign staffer

As the media converged around the man being escorted out of the Trump rally for wearing a profane T-shirt, a Trump campaign worker pulled on a backpack being worn by a television reporter, jerking him backwards.

As the reporter, Brahm Resnik of 12 News, captured the scene using his mobile phone, a man in a white shirt and black jacket grabbed him from behind, jerking back his shoulder.

Resnik told the worker: "Do not touch me. Do not touch me. Do not touch me."

Resnik later said he was not injured.

A campaign staffer, Hannah Salem, said the supporter was asked to change his shirt or turn it inside out because clothing with vulgarity was not allowed at rallies. Salem asked Resnik if he was injured in the exchange.

-- Rebekah Sanders

1:59 p.m.: Wheels down

Trump has landed at Sky Harbor International Airport.

-- Jessica Boehm.

1:35 p.m.: Anti-Islam shirt gets man removed from Coliseum

Hours before Trump was set to take the stage, a member of his audience was removed for refusing to change out of a shirt that contained an inflammatory and profane message against Islam.

As he was escorted out, the man complained to reporters, using a stream of curse words, that his free-speech rights were being violated.

Another man wore a shirt that depicted an airplane and the phrase, "bombislam.com" and "Islam is the cancer. Nukes are the answer."

Another older woman fainted or collapsed on the floor of Veterans Memorial Coliseum as Trump supporters started to take their seats. She was able to walk out on her own.

Otherwise, the early arrivals to the rally were treated to the Trump campaign’s regular playlist of pre-rally music.

The set contained several early Rolling Stones songs, including “Time Is On My Side,” “Heart of Stone” and “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” despite a formal request from the Stones themselves that Trump stop using their material without permission.

The Trump campaign also played: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

-- Dan Nowicki and Alden Woods

1:30 p.m.: "Peace rally" ends; protest might begin

The anti-Trump "peace rally" at Encanto Park ended around 1:30 p.m.

A group of about a dozen or so planned to move towards 19th Avenue and McDowell Road to continue the protest.

-- Laura Gomez-Rodriguez

12:45 p.m.: Heat exhaustion tally at 2

According to the Phoenix Fire Department, two people have been treated for being overheated.

-- Macaela Bennett

12:07 p.m.: A peaceful anti-Trump rally (mostly)

About 50 people gathered to protest Trump at what was billed as a “peace rally” at Encanto Park, about a half mile from the state fairgrounds.

The centerpiece of the gathering, organized by Somos America, was a larger-than-life balloon of Trump dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe over his suit, a white hood held in his right hand.

One sign held at the gathering said, “You can’t comb over the bigotry,” an apparent reference to the candidate’s hairstyle.

Petra Falcon of Promise, Arizona, spoke at the “peace rally” at Encanto Park in both English and Spanish.

“This is the year we can make a big difference as Latinos, as voters,” she said. “We have to vote for the dream.”

Falcon said that Trump’s policies recall the division caused by the anti-illegal immigration measure, SB 1070.

The rally was largely peaceful. But one man drove by shouting: “I love Trump. You’re all racist.”

Brian Sanders, who was punched while at a Trump rally in Tucson, spoke at the “peace rally” at Encanto Park. Sanders said that Trump detractors cannot respond to Trump supporters with violence.

“It’s very dangerous to give Trump the perception that he’s being attacked or being treated unfairly,” Sanders told the crowd of around 50 people.

“We’re not the ones who have to violently attack people, because we’re opposing the fascist-in-waiting,” he said. “We’re not supporting.”

Shortly after noon, a family from Laveen arrived at the rally. Jon Rines, 40, said his family saw the gathering on Twitter. He and his wife, Anzhelika, and their children, ages 2 and 8 months, decided to join in person.

“This is their first protest and I’m very happy it can be against Trump,” said Jon Rines, a Navy veteran. “We’re also strong opponent of Trump because of his message of racism, bigotry and hatred.”

Rosa Maria Soto, 62, an undocumented immigrant, said that Trump’s message was counter to the values of the United States.

“It’s very important we raise our voices against this message,” she said in Spanish, “so it doesn’t grow.”

One Trump supporter, who declined to give his full name, got in a confrontation with a person at the anti-Trump rally. The Trump detractor chanted “racist” at him. The Trump supporter responded, “Whose violent, liberal?” He then praised the supporter for at least wearing white, an apparent reference to the heat, but called another protester dumb for wearing black.

He also argued with a man dressed as a donkey, asking him whether his donkey mask was a burka. Police escorted him away. The man shouted that he felt his free speech rights were being violated.

The man dressed as a donkey later took off his head and gave his name as William Robles. "I don't care who wins the presidential race," he said. "Just not Trump. He's about hate. We have to stop hate."

-- Dianna Nañez and Laura Gomez-Rodriguez

11:47 a.m.: High temps and $4 water

With temperatures expected to top 110 degrees on Saturday, at least one vendor set the price for a bottle of water at $4.

-- Paul Giblin

11:41 a.m.: Bikers in support of Trump and peace

Among those arriving in late morning wasKirtis Baxter, president of the motorcycle group Riders USA, said several of his group’s members.

Baxter said Riders USA and other motorcycle clubs were expected to have as many as 150 bikers descending on Veterans Memorial Coliseum later in the morning to help “keep the peace.”

Their mission: “To make sure that what happened in San Jose and Chicago doesn’t happen out here” with protesters clashing. He said the goal was “to protect the First Amendment.”

Baxter said members would wear red, white and blue arm bands and circulate with the intent of making sure protesters on either side of Trump’s candidacy don’t try to suppress the others’ free speech.

-- Macaela Bennett

11:32 a.m.: Trump in Vegas

Donald Trump started his speech at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Vegas. His speech was scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

Trump said that he started late to accommodate the crowds wanting to see him. "They're not happy outside," Trump said, "but what the heck are we going to do?"

An apparent protester caused a ruckus in the crowd about four minutes into the speech. Cameras did not show what occurred. But Trump, as he began his speech, praised the police.

-- Richard Ruelas

10:45 a.m.: In line 14 hours early

The first person in line at the Trump rally Saturday, Diana Brest of Phoenix, said she got in line at 2 a.m., 14 hours before Trump was scheduled to speak.

Brest, interviewed outside the west gates of the state fairgrounds before they opened, listed why she favored Trump.

“I love him because he’s honest,” she said. “He says what he means. He doesn’t back down and he’s not politically correct.”

Brest said she hoped that when Trump spoke at 4 p.m. inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum he would address his plans to combat terrorism.

“I like when he says there is terrorism in the U.S. and we need to get rid of terrorism and ISIS,” she said, referring to the Islamic State.

Brest also favored Trump’s stand on illegal immigration.

“We need to build a wall and put the illegals out and keep the legals in,” she said. “Too much of that is taking over the U.S.”

Toward the front of the line, were a mother and daughter who’d attended Trump’s previous Arizona visit for a Fountain Hills rally.

The mother, Lynn Hrabik, said she supported Trump because of his stance on limiting immigration. Her daughter, Lynette, said she likes Trump because “he’s not filtered. He tells the truth.”

-- Macaela Bennett

10:30 a.m.: Headed to the rally? Bring cash

An important detail for those planning to rally for Trump. Bring $8 in cash.

Parking at the state fairgrounds complex will be $8 for all lots, cash only.

Gates to the fairgrounds opened at 10:30 a.m. The rally, inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum, was scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

-- Macaela Bennett

10:00 a.m.: Quiet morning before gates open

About a dozen people, some carrying U.S. flags, stood near the west entrance of Veterans Memorial Coliseum at about 9:15 a.m., an hour and fifteen minutes before gates were set to open to the public. A sign out in front of the entrance announced that no weapons would be allowed.

Two roadside businesses, under the banner Trump Shop, set up on corners near the fairgrounds. Each touted T-shirts for sale. Signs said they accepted cash, credit and debit.

There were no signs of crowds at Encanto Park just before 9:30 a.m. A man wearing a donkey costume and sitting on an adult tricycle waved to cars along 15th Avenue.