The mayor of Phoenix is asking President Donald Trump to delay a planned rally in the Arizona city that is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Stanton, a Democrat, made the request in a statement released via Twitter on Wednesday night, saying the timing is not right just as the nation is reeling from the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, that have deepened the divisions in American society.
"If President Trump is coming to Phoenix to announce a pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, then it will be clear that his true intent is to enflame tensions and further divide our nation," the mayor said.
Trump has suggested he might issue a pardon to the longtime sheriff who was convicted of criminal contempt for refusing to stop patrols aimed at suspected illegal immigrants.
Now is not the time for such as move, Stanton said.
"It is my hope that more sound judgment prevails and that he delays his visit," Stanton said.
But, he added, Trump has the same right to rent the Phoenix Convention Center as anyone else, and his city will provide all needed security if Trump follows through with his plans to show up.
"Our Constitution protects the right to free speech, even for those we disagree with or those who don't represent the values we hold dear as a community," the mayor said.
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