Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton was not a fan of President Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday in his city.
Stanton, a Democrat, told MSNBC on Wednesday Trump’s speech was “unfortunate,” and that “it wasn’t the right time for a campaign rally here.”
“It’s very unfortunate what occurred last night with regard to the President’s speech,” he said. “The President failed to show real moral leadership after (the Charlottesville protests). His words tended to divide the country, not unite the country.”
He continued: “Unfortunately, the President last night gave a speech that did continue to divide this country. He did nothing to unite this country.”
GOP Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit, who’s considering challenging GOP Sen. Jeff Flake for his seat, felt differently about Trump’s visit.
He told Fox News on Wednesday it was an “amazing opportunity” to ride on Air Force One, after Trump invited him. DeWit has had multiple conversations with Trump about running for Flake’s seat, sources familiar with those talks told CNN.
On Fox, DeWit added he believes the media has been unfair to Trump, especially after the Charlottesville, Virginia, protests.
“The media is treating President Trump very unfairly,” he said. “But the one thing he has that I think drives the media crazy is he has Twitter and also the big rallies.”
On Wednesday, Trump tweeted about the rally, “Phoenix crowd last night was amazing – a packed house. I love the Great State of Arizona. Not a fan of Jeff Flake, weak on crime & border!
Flake has broken with Trump on several high-profile issues since the election — including the President’s positions on pulling back on ties to Cuba, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the travel ban.