Trump rally, protests: What we know now that the smoke has cleared in Phoenix

PHOENIX — It’s Wednesday morning and some of the smoke and pepper spray has cleared. Here’s what you need to know about President Trump’s rally and the police confrontation with crowds of protesters after the speech.

Where is President Trump on Wednesday?

The president, who stayed overnight at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Montelucia in Paradise Valley, will depart for Reno, where he will address an American Legion convention.

More:Trump expected to address friendly crowd at American Legion convention

What has he tweeted about his Phoenix rally?

The president posted tweets about the rally, the Phoenix crowd, his criticisms of the media.

"Thank you Arizona! Beautiful turnout of 15,000 in Phoenix tonight,'' was among the president's tweets. He also included several tweets with clips of his speech. He did not tweet about the disruption that occurred afterward.

What did the president say in his speech?

Trump, in a speech that lasted more than an hour, began by attempting to set a unifying tone, but his speech quickly veered into a strong defense of his response to the Charlottseville, Va., violence. He also attacked the "truly dishonest media.''

More:President Trump rehashes Charlottesville response, bashes media at Phoenix rally

What Arizona-specific issues did he discuss?

He offered a strong hint that a presidential pardon could be in former Maricopa County (Ariz.) sheriff Joe Arpaio's future and made less-than-favorable references to Arizona's two U.S. senators. The president also touched on some key issues for Arizona, among them his immigration policy and his pledge to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

What about the crowds?

Several thousand people, Trump supporters and vocal opponents, descended on streets near the Phoenix Convention Center hours before the president arrived in Phoenix.

Phoenix police worked to keep the groups apart, and though there were heated moments and verbal clashes, no violence was reported between the groups.

More:Fake news? Trump supporters circulate photo of Phoenix rally crowds ... but it's not

What happened at the end of the night?

As police were attempting to disperse crowds from downtown streets after the speech, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said she was told that protesters had thrown a pepper gas canister at officers. Officers responded with smoke, pepper spray, stun grenades or "flash bangs," and other gas.

Williams said the action was appropriate, given the charged and emotional nature of the event.

No serious injuries were reported other than those that were heat-related, Williams said. Four arrests were made.

More:Police disperse Trump protest crowd with tear gas at rally in Phoenix

What did protesters say?

Some protesters said they did not see any attacks on police officers before officers began using their non-lethal weapons such as smoke, pepper balls, stun grenades and pepper spray. Others said they had no warning before pepper spray was fired.

Will the matter be looked into further?

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton commended the overall behavior of crowds and commended police efforts. He and Williams said there would be a review of what happened at the end of the night, with recommendations on what could have been done better.

What about 'fake news'?

The president used the term in his attacks on the media, but real "fake news" was to be found on social media. 

Tennessee Republicans and other supporters of Trump started sharing an image of what was purportedly a massive crowd gathered in the streets of Phoenix ahead of his speech.

The only problem? The photo is actually an aerial shot from a 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers parade.

Follow Chris Coppola on Twitter: @chris_coppola