Top Republicans Shun Donald Trump Ahead of Phoenix Anti-Immigration Event with Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Heh, establishment Republicans are freakin' out, while Trump just keeps surging in the polls.

At the Arizona Republic, "Trump shunned by Arizona's GOP establishment ahead of Phoenix visit":

Arizona's top Republicans are snubbing Donald Trump as he prepares to bring his surging GOP presidential campaign and brash talk on immigration to Phoenix.

U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake and Gov. Doug Ducey will not attend the Saturday event — now set for the Phoenix Convention Center — hosted by the Republican Party of Maricopa County and featuring Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Flake on Thursday blasted Trump, the celebrity real-estate mogul who has drawn fire for saying Mexican immigrants bring crime and drugs to the United States, and contacted the Maricopa County GOP to register his disapproval.

"Donald Trump's views are coarse, ill-informed and inaccurate, and they are not representative of the Republican Party," said Flake, who with McCain was one of the authors of a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform that passed the U.S. Senate in 2013. "As an elected Republican official, I'm disappointed the county party would host a speaker that so damages the party's image."

McCain won't attend Trump's speech, his spokesman Brian Rogers said. The senator is staying in Washington, D.C., this weekend.

Ducey, meanwhile, will be in town but won't be shaking hands or chatting privately with Trump.

McCain already had distanced himself from Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants, but elaborated Thursday when he was asked during an MSNBC interview about Trump's "rhetoric" and upcoming Arizona visit.

McCain praised the Hispanic influence on Arizona's culture and economy.

"I just think that it is offensive to not only Hispanic citizenry, but other citizenry, but he's entitled to say what he wants to say," McCain said. "But I guarantee you the overwhelming majority (in Arizona) ... do not agree with his attitude, that he has displayed, toward our Hispanic citizens. We love them."

Nationally, there also are signs Trump's constant fire-breathing on immigration is making GOP leaders uncomfortable. The Washington Post reported Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, on Wednesday had a private, 45-minute telephone call with Trump in which he reportedly urged the candidate to "tone it down." Trump described the conversation to CNN as "congratulatory," although he was told to "tone it down a little bit."

Also, "Donald Trump event moves to Phoenix Convention Center."