The mayor of Phoenix, Ariz. is “disappointed” U.S. President Donald Trump is going to host a campaign-style rally in his city rally later this month in the wake of the violence that took place in Charlottesville last weekend.
“I am disappointed that President Trump has chosen to hold a campaign rally as our nation is still healing from the tragic events in Charlottesville,” a statement from Mayor Greg Stanton reads.
“It is my hope that more sound judgement prevails and that he delays his visit.”
The statement also expresses a desire for the safety of anyone attending the rally, which is scheduled for Aug. 22, and anyone who might try to protest it.
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The president was facing harsh criticism for the way he handled the violence in Charlottesville, which left one person dead. Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a white supremacist rammed his car into a group of counter-protestors.
Since then Trump has denounced the violence, but insisted there were “two sides” to the violence and what he called the “alt-left” were also to blame for the incident. His comments have sparked waves of debate on the state of racism in the country.
WATCH: Donald Trump doubles down on his original comments on Charlottesville
U.S. Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva has announced he’ll be leading a counter protest outside the Phoenix Convention Center during Trump’s rally, the Arizona Daily Star reported Wednesday.
In a six-minute video posted on YouTube, the newspaper said Grijalva called Trump unhinged and the congressman from Tucson labeled the president as a supporter of racists.
Stanton also expressed his opinion on the possibility of a pardon for Joe Arpaio, who recently was convicted in federal court for disobeying a judge’s order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. A federal judge ruled in 2013 that Arpaio’s officers had racially profiled Latinos. Trump had said in an interview this week he was considering pardoning the former sheriff.
“If President Trump is coming to Phoenix to announce a pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the it will be clear that his true intent is to enflame emotions and further divide our nation,” Stanton wrote.
Critics say a pardon would amount to an endorsement of racism.
Trump announced his rally on Twitter earlier on Wednesday.
With files from the Associated Press
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