Extreme heat in Arizona sent 11 people to the hospital as thousands waited to enter a campaign rally featuring former President Donald Trump.
As Trump took the stage just after 17:00 EDT (22:00 GMT) at a mega-church in Phoenix, the temperature soared to 111°F (44°C). It was his first rally since his criminal conviction in a New York hush-money case, where he was found guilty of falsifying business records related to a payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.
Trump used the campaign event to repeat accusations that the case against him was politically motivated and called for the conviction to be overturned. “I just went through a rigged trial in New York,” he insisted. “It was made-up, fabricated stuff.” The ex-president is expected to appeal against all 34 charges in the trial.
Fans started lining up early outside the massive Phoenix Dream City Church to see him speak, and strict security measures meant it took time for everyone to get in.
As supporters waited outside the campaign rally, BBC News observed several people being treated for heat-related issues, with two individuals taken to the hospital.
On Thursday—two weeks before summer officially starts—the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast record-breaking temperatures in interior California, and parts of Nevada and Arizona. Temperatures were expected to reach 121°F (49°C) in California’s scorching Death Valley during the heatwave.
In Phoenix, an excessive heat warning was in place on Friday, with people being asked to limit time outdoors and stay hydrated. Trump kicked off a small campaign tour with the stop in Phoenix on Thursday, exactly a week after he was found guilty in New York. The former president spoke for about 90 minutes before departing for a fundraiser in San Francisco.
During his speech, he not only railed against his conviction but also pledged to reverse President Joe Biden’s new executive order aimed at curbing migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border. “On day one of my administration, I will be rescinding Crooked Joe’s outrageous executive order,” he said, describing it as “pro-invasion.” The presidential candidate promised to “terminate every single open-borders policy of the Biden administration.”
As both sides continue their campaigning, Trump said in an interview aired on Thursday that he would announce his pick for running mate at next month’s Republican National Convention, commenting: “We have some very good people.”
