The demand is always greater than the supply when it comes to seats for a Trump rally, so we were lucky to get in Friday night. It was a thrill of a lifetime to see a president in person, particularly one we fully support.

Earlier in the day, President Trump had a private tour at Luke Air Force Base along with several suppliers, Lockheed Martin executives and others. I’d have traded going to the rally gladly to have been able to see the 76 F-35s currently stationed there. The President was seeing the assurance of America’s security right in front of him. Arizona plays a vital role in national security with Luke being the largest operating base for the F-35s, while there are several stationed at Yuma and Tucson.

I don’t think many people really see Arizona as a prime military state, but we are enormously impacted economically with the F-35s in full thrust now. There are as many as 7,300 direct and indirect jobs resulting from the F-35 program in Arizona. We are indeed an important part of the U.S. military. We are a grateful and proud state because we are made better by our consistent military superiority.