Trump moves rally to bigger venue

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is moving his immigration rally in Phoenix on Saturday to a venue with more seating.

Trump announced the rebooking late Thursday evening after rising demand from potential attendees, according to CNN.

{mosads}“Due to overwhelming response for Saturday’s rally in Phoenix, Arizona, the venue has been changed to accommodate the thousands of people expected to attend and the event will now take place at the Phoenix Convention Center,” Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told the news outlet.

Trump initially planned on speaking at Phoenix’s luxury Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, The Arizona Republic reported Thursday evening.

The paper said RVSPs show 3,500 people plan on attending Saturday afternoon’s event.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is slated to appear alongside Trump during the weekend rally.

The Justice Department said Arpaio engaged in “unconstitutional policing” in 2011 by unfairly targeting Hispanics with his department’s law enforcement policies, but he has become a hero to some on the right who say border security is too lax.

Trump, meanwhile, has weathered three weeks of criticism over his remarks on immigration last month — a backlash that has cost him business partners but also coincided with his rise in the polls.

The New York business mogul sharply criticized Hispanic immigrants and Mexico during his formal campaign launch on June 16.

“They’re sending people who have a lot of problems,” he said during the address at New York City’s Trump Tower.

“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” Trump added. “And some, I assume, are good people.”

Trump has repeatedly reiterated similar immigration positions since then, defying critics and his fellow rivals for the White House.

Macy’s, NASCAR, NBC and Univision have all ended their corporate partnerships with Trump over the last month. Celebrity chef José Andrés, meanwhile, has also abandoned his dealings with Trump.

Andrés announced Wednesday that he is no longer opening a Spanish restaurant in Trump’s hotel in Washington, D.C., which is under construction.

“More than half of my team is Hispanic, as are many of our guests,” Andrés said of his decision.

“And, as a proud Spanish immigrant and recently nationalized citizen myself, I believe that every human being deserves respect, regardless of immigration status,” he added.

While Trump is facing a storm of criticism, he also appears to be surging in the polls.

A new poll released Thursday found Trump leading the field of Republican presidential hopefuls, putting him in a prime position to take the stage at the first GOP debate next month.