President Donald Trump spoke to supporters Tuesday night at a headline-grabbing campaign rally in Phoenix, Ariz.
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Here are five must-see moments from his 77-minute speech:
1. He accused the media of misreporting his comments on the deadly violence at a recent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“They have no sources in many cases. They say a source says — there is no such thing,” he said.
“But they don’t report the facts. Just like they don’t want to report that I spoke out forcefully against hatred, bigotry and violence and strongly condemned the neo-Nazis, the white supremacists and the KKK.”
He then recounted his responses to the news, omitting his controversial reference to violence “on many sides.”
He said: “Here’s what I said on Saturday: ‘We’re closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia.’ This is me speaking. ‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence.’ That’s me speaking on Saturday. Right after the event.”
WATCH: President Trump attacked the media over coverage of his remarks after violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. pic.twitter.com/kCh3IB1uvW
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 23, 2017
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2. He slammed community leaders for the removal of Confederate statues.
“They’re trying to take away our culture. They’re trying to take away our history,” Trump said. “And our weak leaders, they do it overnight. These things have been there for 150 years, for 100 years. You go back to a university, and it’s gone. Weak, weak people.”
Trump on Confederate statues: “They’re trying to take away our culture, they’re trying to take away our history” https://t.co/yCXGKbVQod
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 23, 2017
He also said the media is “trying to take away our history and our heritage.”
3. He threatened to shut down the government to secure funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Believe me, if we have to close down our government, we are building that wall,” he said.
He added: “Let me be very clear to Democrats in Congress who oppose a border wall and stand in the way of border security: You are putting all of Americans’ safety at risk.”
President Trump at #PhoenixRally: "Believe me, if we have to close down our government, we are building that wall" https://t.co/Vvoj6x3y4A
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 23, 2017
4. He hinted that he might pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
“Do the people in this room like Sheriff Joe?” Trump asked the crowd of Arpaio, who has been accused of racial discrimination and was convicted of criminal contempt.
“So was Sheriff Joe convicted for doing his job? You know what, I’ll make a prediction: I think he’s going to be just fine, OK? But I won’t do it tonight, because I don’t want to cause any controversy. But Sheriff Joe should feel good.”
President Trump says he won't pardon former Sheriff Joe Arpaio tonight, "but Sheriff Joe can feel good" https://t.co/Kvk4weewPm
— CNN (@CNN) August 23, 2017
5. He appeared to criticize Republican Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake – but didn’t use their names.
“Obamacare is a disaster, and think, we were just one vote away from victory after seven years of everybody proclaiming, ‘Repeal and replace,'” Trump said. “One vote away!”
He said his advisers “all said, ‘Mr. President, your speech was so good last night. Please, please Mr. President, don’t mention any names.’ So I won’t. I won’t.”
Trump added in an apparent reference to McCain, who voted against the “skinny repeal”: “One vote away! I will not mention any names. Very presidential, isn’t it? Very presidential.”
Trump also blasted Flake.
“Nobody wants me to talk about your other senator, who’s weak on borders, weak on crime, so I won’t talk about him,” Trump said, adding, “Nobody wants me to talk about him. Nobody knows who the hell he is. And now, see, I haven’t mentioned any names, so now everybody’s happy.”
Trump mocks Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake (but doesn't say their names) https://t.co/RNcKRsZrdD
— Meg Wagner (@megwagner) August 23, 2017
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