Trump makes stop at Las Vegas church, school; headed to Reno

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Latest on Donald Trump rallies Wednesday the Las Vegas area and Reno:

4:43 p.m.

New York native Donald Trump is lecturing his supporters in Nevada that their state is correctly pronounced “Neh-VAH-da.”

The Republican presidential candidate performed an exaggerated form of his preferred pronunciation from the stage of a rally in Reno. He declared that “nobody says it the other way.” But the confused silence form the crowd mixed with a few shouts of disagreement indicated that quite a few Nevadans pronounce their home state “Neh-VAD-uh.”

American Bridge, a group that supports Hillary Clinton, immediately put up a web video declaring that Trump was “looking like an idiot” for getting the name wrong.

———

3 p.m.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s visit to a Christian school and church in Las Vegas is being criticized by an advocacy group that says the institution openly discriminates against the disabled and people of other faiths.

But Pastor Paul Marc Goulet at the International Christian Academy, said Wednesday his school is just being honest with its policy restricting admission to children who can benefit academically and spiritually.

Battle Born Progress official Annette Magnus-Marquart called a declaration posted in the school handbook clearly discriminatory.

Trump praised the school during a visit to a first-grade class before his appearance at a concert venue in suburban Henderson.

He also visited with Hispanic business leaders at a Mexican restaurant before departing for northern Nevada and a scheduled afternoon rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

———

12:50 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made a stop at a private Christian school and church in Las Vegas before a scheduled campaign rally in suburban Henderson.

Trump prayed at the International Church of Las Vegas in the Summerlin area northwest of downtown, and said the Pledge of Allegiance with schoolchildren at the adjacent International Christian Academy.

The Republican nominee was scheduled to make a campaign speech before noon at the Henderson Pavilion, and to headline a rally a few hours later at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in northern Nevada.

Nevada is a key battleground state where polls show Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Trump are in a tight race.

———

11:15 a.m.

Republican voter and Donald Trump supporter Craig Goleno didn’t give a second thought to the handful of protesters calling out loudly as he walked to a suburban Las Vegas-area concert venue for a political rally featuring the presidential candidate.

They were chanting, “Donald, Donald, you can’t hide. We can see your sexist side.”

Goleno says he just kind of walked right by.

The 45-year-old from Las Vegas took a sick day Wednesday from his furniture sales job to join a crowd that he said impressed him at the 6,500-seat Henderson Pavilion.

Goleno says he expects the election on Nov. 8 between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton will be very close.

Protest organizer Annette Magnus-Marquart of the advocacy group Battle Born Progress termed Trump’s campaign problematic for what she called racist, sexist and homophobic comments he has made.

—————

9:05 p.m.

Supporters and protesters are gathered outside a suburban Las Vegas-area concert venue ahead of the first of two Nevada campaign rallies featuring Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Robert Hartwick of Mohave Valley, Arizona, drove two hours to join a line that began forming shortly after sunrise Wednesday outside the 6,500-seat Henderson Pavilion.

Hartwick, a train engineer for 38 years, said he was attending his fourth Trump rally this year in Nevada and Arizona.

He says the country needs a president who understands how business and labor work.

Leaders of a coalition of liberal and conservation groups organized a peaceful but loud protest at nearby corner.

They’re focusing on what they call degrading remarks by Trump about women and his refusal to release tax records.

Trump is due to travel later to Reno for another rally.