Trump Rally in Phoenix Turns Scorcher, Sending Eleven to the Hospital
It was a sweltering hot day in Phoenix, Arizona, even for June. But that didn’t stop the throngs of Donald Trump supporters from lining up for hours outside the Phoenix Dream City Church on June [Date two days after the rally], eager to hear the former president speak for the first time since his conviction in a New York court. Little did they know, the heat would become the biggest story of the day.
The Donald is Back, and Hotter Than Ever (Literally)
Trump, never one to shy away from the spotlight, took the stage just after PM Eastern Time, which was PM local time in Phoenix. The mercury had already hit a scorching degrees Fahrenheit – and it was only going to get hotter.
This rally marked Trump’s triumphant return to the campaign trail following his conviction in the hush-money case. Naturally, he wasted no time in addressing the elephant in the room – or rather, the donkey in the room, if you ask some of his supporters.
Trump, in his signature style, declared the conviction a “total sham” and a “witch hunt” orchestrated by his political opponents. He railed against the “rigged system” and vowed to fight the conviction “with every fiber of my being.” Classic Trump, some might say.
But the conviction was just the tip of the iceberg. Trump, like a stand-up comedian revisiting his greatest hits, went on to rattle off a string of familiar grievances and promises. He pledged to overturn President Biden’s executive order on border security, calling it “pro-invasion” and vowing to end “open borders policies” once and for all. He also teased the crowd about his running mate, promising to reveal his choice at the Republican National Convention.
Sunstroke and Politics: A Dangerous Cocktail
As Trump’s speech went on, the temperature continued to climb, and so did the number of heat-related illnesses among the crowd. The National Weather Service had issued excessive heat warnings for the area, but that didn’t deter the die-hard Trump fans, many of whom had been standing outside for hours, baking in the unrelenting Arizona sun.
First responders on-site were inundated with calls for help as attendees, overcome by the heat, began to experience dizziness, nausea, and fainting spells. Medics could be seen rushing through the crowd, trying to reach those in need. What started as a political rally was quickly turning into a public health emergency.
By the end of the event, multiple people had been treated for heat-related issues at the rally site, and two individuals were transported to the hospital in serious condition. The incident served as a stark reminder of the very real dangers of extreme heat, especially in a region like the American Southwest, which has been experiencing increasingly intense and prolonged heatwaves in recent years.