On Friday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) took a jab at former President Trump during a campaign rally in Arizona, where he appeared alongside Vice President Harris, drawing yet another impressive crowd.
Speaking to around 15,000 attendees in Phoenix, Walz expressed his admiration for the turnout, noting that a similar crowd had gathered in Detroit the day before.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mocks Trump’s crowd claims at Phoenix rally, drawing a crowd of 15,000
“But Arizona — you just couldn’t stay away, could you?” Walz quipped. “Not that anyone’s counting crowd sizes or anything.”
Throughout the week, Harris’s campaign has attracted larger crowds than any other Democratic event in this election cycle, signaling growing enthusiasm for her presidential bid after President Biden chose not to run for re-election.
Trump, who usually pulls in thousands of supporters at his rallies, seemed bothered by the attention Harris’s events were receiving.
“Oh, give me a break,” Trump remarked at a Thursday press conference when questioned about Harris’s crowd sizes.
“I had 107,000 people in New Jersey, and no one reported it. I’m glad you asked. What did she have yesterday, 2,000 people?” Trump added. “If I ever had 2,000 people, they’d say my campaign is done.”
Friday’s rally marked Harris’s first visit to Arizona and the Sun Belt since launching her presidential campaign following President Biden’s decision to step aside. She was accompanied by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is running for Senate, and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who was considered as a potential running mate for Harris.
Kelly, a military veteran, criticized Trump for disparaging comments made by some Republicans regarding Walz’s military service. Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years but left just months before his unit was deployed to run for office.
“Trump calls those who served suckers and losers. He has no respect for any of us who have worn the uniform,” Kelly said. “Here in Arizona, we do not attack people for their service to our country.”
Trump narrowly won Arizona in 2016 by about 3 percentage points, but he lost the state to Biden in 2020 by a margin of roughly 11,000 votes.
