Glendale Trump rally's long lines, heat combine to send dozens to hospital
Thousands of people stood in a line that stretched for blocks outside Desert Diamond Arena in Friday afternoon's 104-degree heat, hoping to get a seat inside for former President Donald Trump’s rally.
More than 100 prospective rallygoers instead got a seat in the shade outside the arena, where the Glendale Fire Department said they were mostly treated for heat-related injuries. A couple dozen of those individuals were taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment, said department spokesperson Timothy Pirtle.
A volunteer with the Trump campaign referred The Arizona Republic to the event’s organizer, Turning Point USA, for comment on the heat-related incidents. A Turning Point spokesperson did not immediately return a call for comment.
The line to get inside Desert Diamond Arena moved slowly, with some attendees saying that they waited hours to get into the building or decided to give up and head home.
Among them was Terrence Feller, 62, who came from Casa Grande to see the former president with his daughter. They saw the long line and decided to turn around, especially after speaking with one attendee who arrived at 9 a.m. and only entered the arena after 1 p.m.
“It has to be a mile,” he said. “After seeing how long the line is, we decided to turn around and go back to Casa Grande.”
Heat-related hospitalizations have been common at Arizona Trump rallies this summer — 11 were hospitalized during the Republican presidential nominee's last visit to the Valley in June.
Similar to that rally, free water was scarce on Friday. Attendees could purchase cold water from private vendors, who also sold Trump hats, jewelry and other merchandise to those waiting.
That stands in contrast to Vice President Kamala Harris' rally with supporters at Desert Diamond Arena earlier this month.
Though the fire marshal ultimately turned people away because the event reached capacity, lines into the venue moved quickly while the doors were open. Volunteers with the Harris-Walz campaign handed out hand fans, water bottles and Gatorade to combat that day's 108-degree heat. Near the entrance, Mexican popsicles were available for free to help attendees cool down as they filed into the venue.
Pirtle, the Glendale Fire Department spokesperson, said there were more heat-related incidents during Trump’s rally. But he added the department's experience at the dueling Desert Diamond Arena events was largely the same.
Crowd calls for solutions on economy, immigration
While The Republic didn't observe similar amenities to those provided by Harris' campaign at Trump's Friday rally, those in attendance were enthusiastic to back their candidate.
Alan Martinez, 24, and Landon Mahoney, 23, traveled from the southwest Valley to attend the rally. It's Martinez's first rally and Mahoney's second. He attended the rally last year at the Arizona State Fair, he said.
"Trump did a lot of good things when he was in office, so we need to get that back. It's horrible, the way things are right now," Martinez said.
Mahoney said he hopes to hear Trump speak about his plan to tighten up Arizona's borders.
"We love immigrants that come here, but you've got to come here legally. That's the thing," Mahoney said.
Martinez said he hopes to hear Trump direct his attention to the middle and working classes. Because of inflation, Martinez said he looks forward to hearing Trump's plan to make things less expensive.
Feller, the Casa Grande resident put off attending by the long entry line, said he’s voting for Trump because he’ll boost the economy and “get us back on the right energy path, where we’re selling instead of buying.”
As someone who works at a migrant detention center, Feller named the border as another top issue and said immigration is a much larger issue than is presented in the media.
Immigration was a top issue for Tanner Winthorp, 18, Chris Jansen, 19, and Grant Linq, 18. Attending their first Trump rally together, all three are eligible to vote in a presidential race for the first time.
Winthorp told The Arizona Republic “mass deportation” may be needed, but that immigration should be allowed through “the right process.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsement intrigues Trump rallygoers
Garret Balcitis, a 40-year-old subcontractor in Glendale, attended the Trump rally on Friday because he wanted to learn more about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now that he’s suspended his campaign and is backing Trump.
“I'm really most curious just to see if he's going to be a part of this or just an endorsement, or see what the next steps are,” said Balcitis, who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 and described himself as a Libertarian.
He added that he’s “curious to see them unite” and if Trump includes Kennedy in his administration should the former president win this November.
Asked whether he was a supporter of Kennedy before this week’s news of the exit from the race, Balcitis said he’s “for less government all around."
“I'm not a major supporter of anybody, but I appreciate good policy,” Balcitis said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Glendale Trump rally: Long lines, heat mix to send dozens to hospital
