Rep. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) said Thursday that President Donald Trump was "absolutely" not welcome in his home city of Phoenix, Arizona.
Gallego spoke with MSNBC's Ari Melber, who asked the congressman if he wanted Trump to visit in the wake of his criticized response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va.
"Absolutely not," Gallego said. "We don't need his side show. You should not be having a political rally just after such a horrible thing."
Gallego then condemned the possibility of Trump pardoning former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt, during his visit.
"I'm convinced he is only doing this basically to stir up more trouble and to cause more resentment and ... above all, there's the threat that he's going to pardon Arpaio, a criminal that's been convicted by our American justice system," Gallego said. "This is not the way a president should act and Phoenix is not his stage to be acting in such a manner."
Gallego has long been opposed to Trump and has called the president "mentally unstable" and an "absolute racist."
