Trump knocks Democrats at rally: Bloomberg ‘getting pounded’

President Trump took shots at members of the Democratic presidential field as he rallied supporters during a campaign stop in Phoenix on Wednesday evening, an appearance that coincided with the ninth Democratic primary debate.

Trump claimed that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was getting “pounded” by the other candidates in the debate, poking fun at his height.

“Now they have a new member of the crew, mini Mike,” Trump told the crowd of supporters. “We call him ‘no boxes.’”

“I hear he’s getting pounded tonight,” Trump continued. “I hear they’re pounding him.”

Trump also mocked former Vice President Joe Biden as “sleepy” and repeated his claimed that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) was trying to rob Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the current Democratic front-runner, of the nomination.

“The DNC is going to take it away from Bernie again. And that’s OK, because we don’t care who the hell it is, we’re going to win,” Trump said. “We have to.”

Trump sought to contrast himself with the Democratic field during the rally, decrying his prospective opponents collectively as “radical socialist Democrats” and predicting he would win the state of Arizona “in a landslide” come November.

The president also mocked the debacle of the Democratic caucuses in Iowa, and raised questions about problems arising in the Nevada caucuses slated for Saturday.

“How did they do with their vote count in Iowa?” Trump told the crowd. “But you know, I hear that in Nevada, I’m hearing bad things about their vote count … like they don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”

Trump positioned himself as a champion of rural communities and those living in inner cities, taking credit for the strong jobs numbers and stock market gains. Trump specifically mentioned low unemployment rates for minority communities, women and veterans.

He also focused on the U.S. military’s erosion ISIS’s territorial control, touting the successful operation against ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his administration’s controversial strike against Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

And he promoted his administration’s policies on immigration, trade and healthcare, seeking to draw a stark contrast with Democrats.

“At stake in our present battle is the survival of our nation,” Trump said. “This election is so important.”

The president also fleetingly criticized House Democrats over his impeachment, decrying it as a “hoax” and an attempt to “nullify your ballots.” At one point, the president labeled Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a “wacko.”

Trump’s Phoenix stop marks the first of three campaign rallies he will headline over the next three days as part of a broader trip west that includes both official and political business. Arizona, which Trump won by a few percentage points in 2016, has emerged as a battleground state in the 2020 election.

Trump voiced his support for Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), who is facing a reelection battle against Democrat Mark Kelly this year, and invited her onstage to make brief remarks.

“This one is tough as hell, and that’s what we need,” Trump said of McSally.

Trump began his remarks about a half an hour after the Democratic presidential debate got underway in Nevada. The candidates began the debate by piling on Bloomberg, who made his debut on the debate stage Wednesday night after surging in the polls.

At the outset of his remarks, Trump cheered rally attendees for helping to carry a World War II veteran into the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, calling the man “hottest celebrity in the world.” 

Trump quickly pivoted to the November election, seeking to project optimism about his prospects for a second term in the White House.

“We are going to win that election,” Trump said. “With your help this November, we are going to defeat the radical socialist Democrats and we are going to win Arizona in a landslide.”

Updated at 11:02 p.m.