Arizona’s GOP governor to skip Trump rally

Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has no plans to attend President Trump’s rally in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon. 

A spokesman for Ducey told the Arizona Republic he was looking forward to greeting Trump upon his arrival in the state but will not be following him to the campaign-style event.

“Gov. Ducey’s focus has been working with law enforcement toward a safe event in downtown Phoenix for all those involved and in the area. That will continue to be his priority during the event and afterwards,” spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said in a statement to the publication.

{mosads}Ducey’s decision to sit out the rally comes amid the president’s strained relationship with the state’s two Republican senators. 

Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) condemned Trump in his new book, “Conscience of a Conservative,” which encourages other Republicans to stand up to the president for the good of the country.

The president ripped Flake last week on Twitter, calling him “toxic” and promoting his primary opponent, Kelli Ward.

Great to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is running against Flake Jeff Flake, who is WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He’s toxic!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

Flake was quickly defended by his in-state GOP colleague, Sen. John McCain, himself an ongoing subject of Trump’s disdain. 

.@JeffFlake is a principled legislator & always does what’s right for the people of #AZ. Our state needs his leadership now more than ever.

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 17, 2017

McCain also spoke out against Trump’s response to the violence during a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., and famously helped kill the Senate’s ObamaCare repeal-and-replace bill last month, drawing Trump’s fury.

There’s no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate& bigotry. The President of the United States should say so

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 16, 2017

The rally also comes after the president said he is “seriously considering” pardoning the controversial former sheriff of Maricopa Country, Joe Arpaio. 

Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt in July after he was ordered to stop racially profiling Latinos in his duties as sheriff.