'Win those midterms, Arizona,' Trump tells Turning Point crowd
Arizona Republic
Updated April 17, 2026, 6:20 p.m. MT
Arizona's leading Republicans and Erika Kirk warmed up the crowd before President Donald Trump took the stage April 17 at Dream City Church in north Phoenix.
The event was designed to support Republicans running in the 2026 midterm elections, which include statewide races for Arizona governor, attorney general, secretary of state and schools superintendent.
Trump opened his remarks by praising Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA, for her strength after the September assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk. He wrapped up with the customary pledge to make America great again and ended with orders that are a political imperative for him in 2027: “Win those midterms, Arizona.”
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Besides his fight to keep GOP control of both houses of Congress, Trump is juggling a war with Iran and its ripple effects, and an unusual public feud with Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Follow coverage throughout the day from Arizona Republic reporters.
Trump departs Arizona
Ronald J. Hansen
Air Force One has departed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after President Donald Trump’s appearance at Dream City Church for a Turning Point event.
The plane lifted off at 4:27 p.m. and ended his 28th appearance in Arizona during his political career.
Trump's Dream City speech steers clear of pope
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump steered clear of fighting Pope Leo XIV, at least for the moment.
Standing in a Christian church ― though not a Catholic one ― Trump didn’t attack the American-born pontiff.
Trump offended some Catholics by posting, and later deleting, an AI image depicting him as a Christ-like figure healing a sick man. That came on the heels of a statement calling the pope “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
For his part, the pope offered a politically barbed response during a visit to Cameroon.
“Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” he said.
Trump later posted another AI image showing Christ at Trump’s side.
All of it comes after Trump posted a profane message on Easter Sunday that threatened war crimes on Iran and seemed to mock Islam.
“Open the F------’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell ― JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
What Trump didn't say at Dream City Church
Ronald J. Hansen
As is often the case, it’s notable what President Donald Trump didn’t talk about during his 53-minute speech.
There were at least two subjects prominently in the news of late that Trump essentially left unmentioned at Dream City Church in Phoenix.
First, he didn’t talk about his war with MAGA influencers.
The president began his morning April 17 by noting a poll showing conservative pundit Tucker Carlson’s continuing slide with Republicans.
Trump used the poll to lob insults at three other conservatives no longer favored by the president: Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones.
“It’s easy! Tucker is a Low IQ person – Always easy to beat, and highly overrated!!! So are Megyn Kelly, ‘Candace’ (Really Dumb and mentally ill!), and Bankrupt Alex Jones, who is completely ‘fried.’”
Each has broken with Trump, questioning his agenda, the wisdom of attacking Iran and his rhetoric and imagery involving religion, among other issues. Additionally, former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, has continued to criticize Trump since splitting with him over releasing the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files.
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Trump wraps up: 'Win those midterms, Arizona'
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump ended his speech after 53 minutes, a brief duration by his standards.
He wrapped up with the customary pledge to make America great again and ended with orders that are a political imperative for him in 2027: “Win those midterms, Arizona.”
Trump predictably threw his often-decisive support to Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, in the gubernatorial primary. Biggs faces a primary battle from Rep. David Schweikert, R-Arizona, who was not on hand for the Turning Point event.
Trump also backed former Arizona Cardinals placekicker Jay Feely, who is running in a primary for the congressional seat being vacated by Schweikert.
Trump continues climate change skepticism
Ray Stern
President Donald Trump, a skeptic of human-caused climate change, repeated an inaccurate myth that activists stopped using the term “global warming” because the Earth is cooling.
“That wasn’t working because we were actually cooling as a planet,” he said, adding that scientists made more wrong predictions. “Then they just said ‘climate change,’ because climate change takes care of heat, snow, whatever you got.”
As an article on NASA’s website explains, “climate change” has been used by scientists for decades. Though “global warming” has been a popular term since the 1980s, “climate change includes global warming and everything else that increasing greenhouse gas amounts will affect,” the article says.
Arizona has experienced a steady rise in average temperatures over the past 25 years, with record-breaking high temperatures, including the state’s unprecedented, 100-degree-plus heat wave in March.
President Donald Trump attends a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 17, 2026.
Former Arizona sports stars get shout-out from Trump
Ronald J. Hansen
Arizona’s sports heroes took a turn in the spotlight from President Donald Trump.
Of course, Trump recognized Jay Feely, the former Arizona Cardinals placekicker running for Congress. But he also name-checked others presumably in the crowd for their support.
That included: Ryan Thompson, Curt Schilling and Mark Grace from the Arizona Diamondbacks; hockey legend Jeremy Roenick, who had two stints with the Phoenix Coyotes; race car driver Danica Patrick; Phoenix Suns star player and broadcaster Tom Chambers; and Valley broadcaster John Gambadoro.
Trump praises 'new partner' Venezuela on energy production
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump returned to international relations.
He cited the toppling of Venezuela’s president and said of Cuba that the United States is “going to help them out.”
Trump called Venezuela “our new partner” in leading global energy production, though he incorrectly said the United States produces more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined.
The United States is generally considered the global leader when combining oil and gas production, not oil alone.
Trump bragged that he had suspended refugee programs, except for South Africans who are “being persecuted. They kill people if you’re White,” Trump said, calling the situation in South Africa a “genocide.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 17, 2026.
Trump touts domestic agenda, criticizes Democrats
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump went on the attack at Democrats, criticizing them for wanting to “defund ICE” and not supporting his record-setting closure of the southern border to illegal immigrants.
While his approval numbers have been skidding, Trump continues to press the case he has strengthened America’s trade deficit with other nations and delivered popular tax relief, including temporarily lifting income taxes on tipped wages.
Trump said “the average refund is more than $4,000 per filer,” and said that is much larger than had been expected.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Treasury Department said “the average refund this filing season is over $3,400, an increase of 11 percent compared to last filing season."
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Hamadeh repeats debunk election conspiracies
Ray Stern
Arizona Rep. Abe Hamadeh is still sore about the 2022 election for Arizona attorney general he lost.
During a speech at the April 17 Turning Point Trump rally, Hamadeh claimed the election that year was “stolen” and that the race involved “60% of the machines going down.”
A recount showed Hamadeh lost the race that year to Democrat Kris Mayes by 280 votes, but challenges to the election by Hamadeh and failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake were tossed out of court due to lack of evidence. He exaggerated the machine problem, too: Some printers in about 30% of polling locations produced text too light for automated readers, but no ballots were rejected because of the problem.
Hamadeh, who won his seat in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in 2024, also spent time in his speech slamming top Democrats with insults. Mayes is an “illegitimate climate activist parading around as an attorney general” while Gov. Katie Hobbs is a “crooked disaster” and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is “a cartel lawyer.”
Trump claims victory in Iran
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 17, 2026.
Early on, President Donald Trump turns to the international scene to claim victory.
He promised to “make Lebanon great again,” a reference to the current ceasefire agreement with Israel and that country.
Trump thanked the leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait for helping bring the war in Iran nearly to a close. Those nations, Trump said, “helped tremendously.”
That is unlike NATO, who Trump said didn’t help at all.
“Iran was the bully of the Middle East. They’re not the bully anymore,” Trump said to cheers.
Trump again cited his dubious claim that he has ended eight wars and said that he is on the verge of ending wars with Iran and Lebanon as well.
“Think of how many lives we’ve saved,” he said.
Trump praises Erika Kirk in opening remarks
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump praised Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk for the job she has done since the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk.
It was part of the customary nods he makes to Arizona, Turning Point and to himself for winning in 2024 “by a landslide.”
Just before Trump took the stage, the introductory video included a curious soundbite from earlier remarks in which Trump declared inflation has been “defeated” in his first year back in office. He made that boast in January to leaders of the world’s leading industrialized economies at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
But last year the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development predicted the U.S. will have the highest inflation rate among those countries this year.
Erika Kirk hits Ruben Gallego over Eric Swalwell ties
Dan Nowicki
Erika Kirk praised the United States for holding a unique status on the globe and vowed that Turning Point will fight to stop her home state of Arizona from turning into a liberal stronghold like California.
“We don’t want Arizona to elect people like Eric Swalwell,” Kirk said. “No we don’t. … But I will say, unfortunately, that we do have his best friend, Ruben Gallego, here so we do have some work to do.”
Gallego, a Democratic senator from Arizona, has said he was manipulated and duped by his friend Swalwell, a California U.S. representative facing allegations of sexual assault. Swalwell dropped out of California’s governor race and announced his resignation from Congress this month.
Kirk took the helm of Turning Point USA as CEO and chair after the Sept. 10, 2025, assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk. She was the one who first talked about Turning Point’s “Build the Red Wall” plan in December at her organization’s “AmericaFest” conference in downtown Phoenix.
Trump takes the stage at Dream City Church
Ronald J. Hansen
President Donald Trump has taken the stage at Dream City Church in Phoenix to loud applause.
Making at least his 28th appearance in Arizona during his political career, Trump arrives amid sinking approval ratings and a war with Iran that has exacerbated the economic problems the public often laments.
Trump is on hand to help U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, in his gubernatorial bid and other Republicans in the midterm elections.
Watch live here
Ciscomani says GOP midterm wins will 'keep this American Dream alive'
Ray Stern
Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani emphasized his background as a child of immigrants in his speech at the Turning Point Trump rally in a nod to his politically diverse district.
Noting his race is one of the most competitive in the nation, Ciscomani spent more time talking about his participation in the American Dream than the policies of President Donald Trump.
He told fellow Republicans at Dream City Church how his parents took him to the United States from Mexico when he was 11, and voters put him in Congress only 16 years after he became an American citizen.
His father, a bus driver for most of his life, asked him rhetorically where else in the world people like them could have achieved as much.
“Only in America,” he said.
Keeping Republicans in office during midterm elections will help “keep this American Dream alive,” he said.
President Trump lands in Air Force One
Kathy Tulumello
President Donald Trump arrived in Phoenix at Sky Harbor International Airport shortly at 1:45 p.m. and spoke briefly to reporters. His motorcade has arrived at Dream City Church.
Andy Biggs: Gov. Katie Hobbs is ruining Arizona
Ray Stern
Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs showed his sensitive side at the Turning Point event and leaned into his relationship with President Donald Trump to promote his run for governor.
Biggs appeared to break down emotionally as he told of falling in love with his wife of 45 years, choking up as he described their belief in the opportunities Arizona holds.
“It’s time we bring that optimism back to the state,” he said. “We need to think big.”
Biggs didn’t shy away from his Trump endorsement or election policies that tripped up Kari Lake and other failed Republican candidates in recent years, vowing to make Arizona election results available on Election Night. He also vowed to bring new gasoline pipelines into the state to reduce fuel prices, serve healthy food in schools and “use our lands for houses and not Green New Deal projects.”
He name-dropped his incumbent opponent, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, about a dozen times, saying she was ruining the state.
“We’re going to have to clean up the disastrous Hobbs machine,” he said.
Retired athletes trade sports for politics
Stephanie Murray
The president’s speech drew a bench of retired athletes.
Former race car driver Danica Patrick delivered remarks. Plus, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, NBA player Tom Chambers and MLB player and coach Jay Bell were in the crowd.
“It takes a lot of courage for these athletes to come. They don't gain anything. They lose things. They lose endorsements. But some things are worth more than money,” said congressional candidate Jay Feely, who was a kicker for the Arizona Cardinals.
Kathryn Limbaugh defends Erika Kirk
Ronald J. Hansen
Kathryn Limbaugh, the widow of the late conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh, praised and defended Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point’s co-founder, Charlie Kirk.
Limbaugh’s extended praise for Erika Kirk alluded to the controversies she has faced in the months after succeeding Charlie Kirk as CEO of the conservative political networks.
“Erika showed incredible grace, strength, courage and determination not to let anything steal her light,” Limbaugh said.
Anyone who questions the way Erika Kirk grieved is “incredibly judgmental,” Limbaugh said. Charlie Kirk knew who he married and is proud of how she has carried on in his absence, Limbaugh said.
Some conservatives have split over the future of the movement after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and the circumstances of his death itself became the source of a new round of conspiracy theories that have splintered some of his former followers.
Kathryn Limbaugh, Rush Limbaugh’s fourth wife, said she often viewed Charlie Kirk as the “younger version of Rush” for a younger generation. She thinks both are now sitting in heaven likely talking over current events.
Kathryn Limbaugh speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Candidates flex friendship, phone calls with Trump
Stephanie Murray
Republicans were eager to flex their close, personal relationships with President Donald Trump.
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, called the president a friend and told two stories about phone calls he’s shared with Trump. Biggs did his best Trump impression as he recounted the president’s phone call informing him that he would endorse Biggs for Arizona governor.
He also told another story about missing Trump’s call when he was speaking at an event.
“While I was talking, my phone started vibrating and I thought ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if it was President Trump?’” Biggs said.
Trump isn't the kind of guy to get tired, Biggs said, so he called the president back when he could at 11:30 p.m. Trump took the call.
Jay Feely, the former NFL kicker who is running for a Scottsdale-area House seat, also played up his relationship with Trump.
“President Trump reached out and asked me to run for office a couple of times,” Feely told the crowd. “We've been friends for a number of years.”
Cheers for Trump, boos for Democrats
Stacey Barchenger
The crowd inside Dream City Church, which was adorned with red and blue lights, cheered the president’s accomplishments. They booed reliably when speakers mentioned any Democrat, from U.S. Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes.
A chant of “USA! USA!” rang out when U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh asked veterans in the crowd to stand and be recognized. Hamadeh was elected to a reliably red West Valley district in 2024 after being defeated by Mayes in 2022.
U.S. Rep. Eli Crane mixed the personal and political in his time onstage. Monday, he told the crowd, was his wife Jen’s birthday. He asked the crowd to sing along with him — and those gathered in red, white and blue happily obliged.
Crane joked afterward, asking what more he needed to do to stay out of the doghouse.
“Flowers!” one woman in the crowd yelled.
'Democrats are pretty much the cause of all your problems,' Crane says
Ronald J. Hansen
U.S. Rep. Eli Crane urged conservatives to embrace their faith and work together to continue the Trump agenda.
“This is a cultural war, it’s a political war, but, in my opinion, most importantly it is a spiritual war,” Crane, R-Arizona, said.
“Now we’ve got some midterms coming up, and I’m going to tell you guys something you already know. Republicans are not the solution to all of your problems, but Democrats are pretty much the cause of all your problems.”
Turning Point’s support reminded him of the lesson he learned as a Navy SEAL: that politics, like life, is a team effort.
Crane thanked Turning Point for its continued work on behalf of conservatives after the September slaying of its co-founder Charlie Kirk, whom Crane said he thought would one day be president.
Gosar says Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego should be court-martialed
Ronald J. Hansen
U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar urged Americans to help build “brick by brick” the wall that President Donald Trump began in an effort to challenge conservatives to help ensure the Trump agenda continues.
“Don’t just talk. Deliver votes. Bring five friends,” Gosar, R-Arizona, said.
Gosar, who continues to exhibit undisclosed physical ailments, labored to turn the pages of his speech and his words seemed slurred as he spoke.
But he still displayed the characteristic conservative sense of humor. He joked to bring family members to the polls, but probably not his. It referenced his siblings’ endorsement of his opponents in years past.
Gosar dismissed them as Communists.
Gosar also called for the court-martial of Arizona’s Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, whom Gosar sought to tie to the sexual assault claims against former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California.
Charlie Kirk remembered in remarks
Stephanie Murray
Seven months after his death, speakers honored slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA co-founder who was assassinated in September.
“Like many of you guys, I thought one day Charlie will be president,” said Rep. Eli Crane, R-Arizona.
Turning Point USA, which hosted the event, is “alive and well” despite Kirk’s killing, Crane added.
Many in the crowd wore white T-shirts emblazoned with the word “FREEDOM,” similar to what Kirk was wearing when he was shot and killed at a Turning Point event in Utah. In an opening prayer, Pastor Tommy Barnett noted that Kirk died in his 30s like Jesus Christ.
“He’s someone who meant a lot to us. It’s not like other places in the country. We knew him at a more intimate level,” said Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Arizona.
As Hamadeh spoke, a woman held up a sign that featured a photo of Kirk and the words “NEVER SURRENDER.”
'We’re the party of rational, they’re the party of absurd,' Jay Feely says
Ray Stern
Jay Feely said he and his wife, Rebecca, could have kicked back as “empty nesters” this year instead of heeding a call to God for the former football player to run for Congress.
But he and other conservatives are needed this year to run for office so Arizona survives as a “center-right state,” he said in a speech April 17 at the Trump rally in Phoenix. “We’re the party of rational, they’re the party of absurd.”
Running for the competitive seat in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, Feely’s race is crucial to determining the political makeup of Congress in November’s election. He’s running against two other Republicans in the GOP primary. If he wins, he could face one of the six Democrats who believe the district became ripe for flipping after Republican Rep. David Schweikert announced he’d run for governor.
Feely ran through a number of red-meat issues in his seven minute speech: praising Trump’s response after he was shot by a would-be assassin in July 2024, criticizing transgender athletes in women’s sports and blasting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for a plan to build a $30 million, city-financed grocery store.
“That’s socialism at its core,” he said.
Mark Lamb: We need to 'build a wall'
Ronald J. Hansen
Congressional candidate Mark Lamb spent his time on stage embracing the original political agenda of President Donald Trump and extending the metaphor of the day: building a wall.
He cited the importance of building a border wall with Mexico and the promise to make America great again. The Biden administration left Americans being harmed by undocumented immigrants and allowed them to abuse social safety net programs, he said.
“Now we’ve got to do the best we can to get these wolves out of this house and build a wall … so this never happens again,” Lamb said.
Lamb, the former sheriff of Pinal County, is running for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, who is running for governor.
'Leave your MAGA boyfriend'
Taylor Seely
Chelsea Gods, 40, protests outside of a Trump rally at Dream City Church wearing a shirt saying "Leave you MAGA boyfriend."
Chelsea Gods, 40, was berating car passengers driving up to the church, screaming that women shouldn't support rapists.
At one point, she turned her back to the flow of cars, bent over, shook her butt and flipped them off. She wore a shirt saying "Leave your MAGA boyfriend."
She said she once had to dump her "MAGA husband." He used to be a Bernie Sanders supporter who attended climate protests with her, but she said he felt into a Twitter rabbit hole, leading him to believe in the QAnon conspiracy and is now a MAGA supporter.
No longer recognizing him, Gods divorced him. She said she found support on a subreddit for "QAnon Casualties." It went from a 5,000 member group to tens of thousands in membership after a few years, she said.
Catholic Trump supporter says president, pope are 'crossing and they shouldn't'
Stephanie Murray
George Ruiz, an 82-year-old Catholic who lives in San Tan Valley, attended President Donald Trump’s speech at Dream City Church in Phoenix on April 17, 2026.
Wearing a “JESUS IS MY SAVIOR, TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT” T-shirt, San Tan Valley resident George Ruiz, 82, weighed in on the president's feud with Pope Leo XIV.
The president and the pope are at odds over the Iran war. The pope delivered an antiwar message, leading Trump to attack him online and post a now-deleted artificial intelligence rendering of Trump as Jesus Christ.
“They're crossing and they shouldn't. The pope should not ever be involved in politics and Trump should keep his mouth kind of closed against the pope,” Ruiz said. “I trust the pope in the matters of the church. I trust Trump in the matters of politics.”
Ruiz said he was not offended by Trump’s post that likened the president to Christ. He called it a mistake, but noted Trump isn’t a typical politician.
“You just wait. Before this is all over, everything will be better than it ever was before. I trust in him. I trust in his judgment,” Ruiz said. “Just like I trust in the pope for the judgment of the church.”
Tucson resident excited to see Trump live for the 1st time
Christian Cervantes
Tucson resident Sarah Ransey, 72, traveled made the two-hour trek to Phoenix with one goal in mind: to listen to President Donald Trump speak live for her first time ever.
When asked what she was most excited to hear from the president, she said: "I want to hear him speak about unifying the country.
"He's doing a great job, but how are we going to get the message to all of America?" she asked.
Retired police officer protests against Christian nationalism
Taylor Seely
Jared Ross, 44, and his 11-year-old daughter, joined protesters outside Dream City Church ahead of President Donald Trump's rally on April 17, 2026.
Jared Ross, 44, protested outside Dream City Church ahead of President Donald Trump's rally with his 11-year-old daughter, holding a sign against Christian nationalism.
A retired police officer of 20 years, a Christian and a self-proclaimed patriot, Ross said he wanted to protest because he believed Christian nationalism offended the Constitution and Christianity. He defined Christian nationalism as believing the nation should be Christian only and using politics to advance a Christian mission.
He said he attended also because he knows he looks like a stereotypical Republican guy, and he wants other Republican guys heading in to see him and know they don't have to be brainwashed.
Several rally attendees collapse while in line
Christian Cervantes
Several "Build the Red Wall" attendees needed medical attention after collapsing while waiting in line for the Trump rally.
An older man was lying on the ground as paramedics used IVs to help him rehydrate. He was later taken out of the VIP line to an ambulance via stretcher.
Another person collapsed in the general admission line, as paramedics were monitoring the situation.
Officers with the Phoenix Police Department told The Arizona Republic some of the medical issues stemmed from "leg locking," which can cause fainting due to lack of blood circulation.
