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Throughout its history, Arizona has seen U.S. presidents visit the state for everything from political rallies to funerals.
The 48th state isn’t always high on the list of presidential stops, making a stop in the Grand Canyon State even more important for Arizona residents.
Here’s a look at The Arizona Republic’s coverage of U.S. presidents who visited Arizona while serving in the nation’s highest elected office and why they visited the state.
William McKinley’s visit to Arizona before the state’s inauguration
Eleven years before Arizona became the 48th state to join the Union, President William McKinley visited the Arizona Territory and spotlighted the Southwest’s crown jewels.
On May 7, 1901, the president visited a gold mine in Congress, a mining town in Yavapai County, before traveling to Phoenix to tour the territorial capital and a Native American boarding school.
“Despite our wonderful travel facilities, this country has grown so large that it takes at least 40 days to reach the frontier territories of this republic,” details President McKinley’s speech to the Phoenix crowd. I read the Republic article written in .
“Also, as I stand here, I will never forget that when I was forced to go to war with Spain and called for volunteers, the first patriotic response took place in this region.” added McKinley. He becomes the fourth U.S. president to be assassinated just months after visiting Arizona.
John F. Kennedy’s last visit to Arizona
On November 17, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made his first and last visit to Arizona as a national leader.
President Kennedy arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which at the time had no international designation, and was greeted by Arizona State Senator Carl Hayden.
That evening, Hayden was honored for his 50 years of service as an Arizona state senator at a dinner attended by Kennedy. The president gave a speech praising Hayden’s accomplishments.
“America is moving, and Arizona is moving with it,” read part of President Kennedy’s speech at Hayden’s Memorial Day Dinner.
A photo obtained by The Republic showed 84-year-old Carl Hayden flanked by President Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon Johnson.
According to the presidential diary, Kennedy was staying at the famous Westward Ho Hotel in downtown Phoenix.
Kennedy left Arizona on November 18 and was assassinated in Dallas two years later.
Richard Nixon visited Phoenix for a rally months before he resigned.
President Richard Nixon visited Arizona on May 3, 1974, late in his presidency, to attend a Republican rally ahead of the election later that year.
Mr. Nixon’s diary states that he arrived at Sky Harbor Airport at 4 p.m. and was greeted by Senators Barry Goldwater and Paul J. Fannin.
The Republican rally was held at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, now the Arizona State Fairgrounds.
The original photo used by the Phoenix Gazette showed President Nixon waving to a line of 14,000 people, some holding placards and cheering for the hopeful president-elect.
According to Mr. Nixon’s diary, the president met briefly with Eugene C. Pulliam, then publisher of the Phoenix Republic and Gazette, on his birthday.
President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon stayed at the Camelback Inn before leaving the state for the last time during the administration on May 4.
Nixon resigned as president three months later, on August 9, 1974, in the lingering aftermath of the Watergate scandal.
Gerald Ford visited Arizona for a journalism conference
After Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, President Gerald Ford assumed the presidency and visited Arizona just three months later.
According to his diary, on November 14, 1974, Ford arrived at Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley to greet prominent local politicians, including Arizona Governor Jack Williams and Senator Paul Fannin. did.
Ford attended a ceremony honoring the first F-15 Eagle fighter jet delivered to the National Air Force Arsenal.
Later that evening, Ford attended the annual convention of the Society of Professional Journalists, where he was greeted by Eugene C. Pulliam.
Ford was scheduled to depart Arizona from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after the event.
Ronald Reagan visited Arizona twice.
According to President Ronald Reagan’s presidential diary, the first of two trips to Arizona during his tenure was to attend the National Rifle Association convention on May 5, 1983.
President Reagan also visited Arizona on October 30, 1987, to attend the funeral of Edith Davis, Nancy Reagan’s mother, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in downtown Phoenix.
President Reagan and the first lady stayed at the Arizona Biltmore before leaving the Valley on November 1, 1987.
George Bush visited the Grand Canyon and other places in the early 1990s
On September 18, 1991, President George HW Bush visited the Grand Canyon.
President Bush visited again on May 28, 1992, for a fundraising event for Senator John McCain.
Bill Clinton visited Arizona seven times during his presidency.
A new wave of Democratic influence led to a total of seven visits to the state during President Bill Clinton’s presidential term from 1993 to 2001, according to President Bill Clinton’s presidential record.
His first visit as president was on September 11, 1996, when he visited the Sundial Recreation Center in Sun City and gave a campaign speech along with former Governor Rose Mofford and Congressman Ed Pastor.
President George W. Bush visits Arizona to promote policy and collaborates with key Republican lawmakers
President George W. Bush visited Phoenix in October 2004 while campaigning for re-election and debated with Senator John Kerry at Arizona State University.
While in the Valley, Bush and his first family visited the Republican debate observers at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in downtown Phoenix.
President Bush visited Tucson, Arizona, again in March 2005 to discuss strengthening Social Security with Senator John McCain, and was scheduled to welcome home troops to Luke Air Force Base in late August of the same year.
Barack Obama visited Arizona 7 times
President Barack Obama visited Arizona regularly during his eight years in office, making his first visit in February 2009, just one month after taking office.
On May 13, 2009, President Obama delivered the commencement speech to Arizona State University graduates.
When President Obama arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in January 2012, then-Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was photographed in an infamous manner, raising her index finger at the president in a seemingly reprimanding manner. It was controversial.
At the beginning of his second term, President Obama visited Intel’s Ocotillo campus in Chandler to defend the tech giant.
President Obama’s last trip to Arizona began on February 7, 2015, to promote federal programs that make it easier for Americans to become homeowners.
Donald Trump has made Arizona a major campaign base
President Donald Trump has made Arizona a hotbed for his 2020 re-election campaign, making his first stop in the state on February 19, 2020, for a campaign rally at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Republic reported that a packed crowd gathered outside the Coliseum to hear the president’s speech, which boasted about the state of the economy at the time.
Trump is scheduled to make six more visits to the state during his term, which runs from February to October.
On May 5, 2020, President Trump visited a Phoenix Honeywell facility that manufactured masks during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic and discussed aid to Native Americans in the Republic Press.
Trump held rallies in Bullhead City and Goodyear on October 28, 2020, breaking the state record for tickets to a presidential event.
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President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Arizona
Joe Biden visited Arizona for the first time as president on December 6, 2022, touring the construction site of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s new facility in Phoenix, The Republic reported.
On September 27, 2023, Biden visited Arizona again to pay tribute to the late Sen. John McCain.
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