PHOENIX (CN) — Former president and convicted felon Donald Trump appeared in his first campaign event since the conclusion of his New York trial Thursday afternoon, addressing the city of Phoenix alongside Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA.
The 45th president railed against current President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, using anti-immigrant rhetoric riling up the crowd over the humanitarian crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border — much of which also serves as Arizona’s border.
“Joe Biden is pro-invasion, pro-child trafficking, pro-women trafficking, pro drug dealing, pro-death, pro-illegal immigration,” Trump said. “The worst president in history. Joe, you’re fired,” he added, invoking his catch phrase from his popular reality show "The Apprentice."
Trump spoke to a crowd of more than 1,000 passionate supporters just one week after he was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a hush money scheme related to his 2016 presidential run.
“I got indicted four times!” he yelled with his arms stretched out, mimicking Jesus on the cross. “The only thing I did wrong was I beat someone I wasn’t supposed to beat.”
A New York City jury found that Trump directed his attorney Michael Cohen in 2016 to make hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her from telling the press they had sex in 2006. The jury unanimously found that Trump intentionally misrepresented those payments to hide their nature.
“I just went through a rigged trial in New York,” Trump announced to thunderous applause. “With a highly conflicted judge where there was no crime.”
He also faces criminal charges in Florida, where he’s accused of keeping classified documents relating to national security after leaving the White House, and was indicted twice in Georgia over reported election interference after the 2020 election.
Trump was also found civilly liable for sexual abuse last year in a case where he was accused of raping a woman in 1996.
The former president taunted Biden for only answering preplanned questions in live press conferences, then spent 30 minutes answering questions only from Trump supporters handpicked by Turning Point USA employees.
He spent most of the time ranting on border issues, promising to engage in “the largest domestic deportation operation in history,” on the first day of his presidency.
Early in his speech, he invited former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on stage, praising him for his strength in protecting the border during his 24 years as sheriff of Phoenix’s home county. Trump hugged and kissed Arpaio when he got onstage.
“I don’t kiss men, but I’ll kiss him,” Trump joked.
Trump promised to be tough on immigration like Arpaio, who is infamous for rampant use of racial profiling against Latinos. Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt in a two-decade old class action lawsuit, though Trump pardoned Arpaio just weeks before his sentencing.
Audience members, star-spangled in red, white and blue and topped with MAGA hats, excitedly shouted and cheered throughout the speech, yelling things like “we love you” and “fuck Joe Biden," and occasionally chanting “USA.”
Trump endorsed former TV news anchor Kari Lake for the U.S. Senate, complaining that her loss in Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial election, and every other Republican loss since 2020, was because of election fraud.
He also decried higher inflation under Biden than his own administration, falsely claiming that rates are higher than they’ve ever been.
The 2024 candidate bragged about leading in recent polls in key swing states in Arizona, and his increasing support from Black and Latino voters, though some polls show Black voters still prefer the Democratic Party.
Kirk was the first to speak at the three-hour event, defending Trump from his recent conviction. He spent a majority of his 20-minute speech encouraging the audience to find and register new voters for their cause.
“Step one: Buy a MAGA hat,” he said. “I see a lot of MAGA hats here already.”
Employees of Turning Point USA stood outside the event hiring ballot chasers to stretch the reach of the Republican Party.
Kirk spent the rest of his speech attacking Biden and the Democrats, accusing them of committing “lawfare” against Trump and other Republicans, like those recently indicted in Arizona’s so-called fake elector scheme.
“The true threat to our democracy is Joe Biden and his pack of thugs running the Department of Justice,” Kirk said. “He is a traitor to the United States of America.”
Trump said Nov. 5 will be “the most important day in the history of our country.”
“If we don’t win,” he said, “this country is finished.”
Republican Arizona lawmakers Anthony Kern, Wendy Rogers and others attended the rally to support their preferred candidate.
“We support Trump,” Kern said. “He’s gonna be our next president.”
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