Donald Trump spent some time in California to raise funds for his presidential campaign. During an event Friday at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, the former president put a spotlight on the land movement that has more than a hundred homes without gas or electricity.
He praised Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank for handling the disastrous landslides despite the lack of help from higher levels of government.
While Governor Gavin Newsom did declare a state of emergency for Rancho Palos Verdes, Mayor Cruikshank said, "We feel like the way in which the governor's declaration was worded, it precluded the federal government from even talking to us, which is absolutely crazy."
Mayor Cruikshank also thanked former President Trump, saying, "Residents appreciate the ability to talk to him about our problem—a local problem that really has grown into something much more than our city can handle."
Trump said of the landslides, "I want to express my support for all of the families affected by the landslides and Rancho Palos Verdes after addressing the concerns of the residents whose homes are threatened by the land movement."
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He then set his sights on the state of California, saying, "I'm here in California with a very simple message for the American people. We cannot allow comrade Kamala Harris and the communists left to do to America what they did to California. The state of California is a mess."
Trump also accused Governor Newsom of destroying San Francisco, saying it was a great city 15 years ago despite Newsom having been mayor from 2004 to 2011.
The Harris campaign responded to former president Trump's news conference: "Donald Trump took his train wreck on the debate stage straight to California in a rambling defensive often incoherent event to promote his golf course. He yet again showed the country how he is melting down," said the statement.
Trump repeated his promise of mass deportations if re-elected. He said he would start in Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado, the two cities where he says migrants are at the center of baseless claims of eating pets and committing violent acts.
The former president also discussed the debate and, when pressed about another one, said, "I did great with the debates, and I think they've answered everything, but maybe if I got in the right mood, I don't know right now, I'm leading, and I'm leading in every single poll on the debate."
Sonoma State University Political Science Professor David McKay told KNX News that Trump's agreement to another debate has no upside, but spending time campaigning in California has a lot of value. Despite California being a heavily democratic state, there's still a lot of Republican money in the state.
According to McKay, "California is that ATM of American politics, that's important. [Trump] is also here to draw some attention that happens down ballot."
McKay says critical congressional races in California could determine which party controls the house.
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