Governance on Trump's Greens

James Pan • November 4, 2024

As the United States approaches the final stages of the 2024 presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the importance of political outreach becomes more apparent. During a press conference in Palos Verdes on Friday, Sept. 13th, Trump addressed a variety of issues, from the local landslide crisis to the potential impacts of a Democratic presidency (Los Angeles Times). Trump rarely makes campaign appearances in predominantly Democratic California, making the conference a valuable opportunity for voters to understand Trump’s political strategy as well as his vision for the future.

The conference was held at the Trump National Golf Course following another of Trump’s campaign appearances at a Beverly Hills fundraiser the night before (Los Angeles Times). Trump praised his golf course, describing it as one of the best in the world due to its picturesque location on the bluffs above the ocean. Alongside a large group of Trump supporters, local homeowners impacted by the local landslide crisis gathered along the road leading into the golf club in hopes that the former President could alleviate the situation. They held signs displaying slogans including “200+ Homes, No Gas, No Power, No Help” and “Save Our Homes,” seeing the former President’s arrival as an opportunity to convince him to put pressure on the state and federal government for a more proactive approach toward the crisis. The picketers appeared to have succeeded in their efforts in convincing the former president to shine a spotlight on the crisis, who began the press conference by acknowledging their efforts and a demonstration of support for the victims and the city’s response to the crisis (ABC News).

“I would like to express my support for all of the families affected by the landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes,” Trump said. “I want to thank the mayor for the great job he's doing and [want to] tell people what a great job he's doing.”

Trump met with Rancho Palos Verdes mayor John Cruikshank before the conference regarding the landslide crisis (Los Angeles Daily News). Not many details are known about what occurred during the meeting. However, Trump’s remarks about his interactions with the mayor suggested that the apparent focus was on seeing more action from the state and federal government. Cruikshank, who Trump called on to speak briefly at the conference, expressed a similar sentiment to the picketers by urging the state of California as well as the federal government to contribute more in remedying the impact of the landslide.

“As the President mentioned, [the] city has been having a lot of issues with the landslide that is less than a mile from here,” Cruikshank said. “We believe we can solve the problem but we really need the assistance of the state of California and the federal government. [The] solution is bigger than the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, [so] it’s important to get the attention and help of the people of California and the federal government.”

However, several picketers were also critical of the Rancho Palos Verdes’ city council in their response to the landslide, which opposed Trump’s endorsement of their efforts. Despite shared recognition of a need for more state involvement in the landslide response effort, the former President’s apparent faith in city authorities’ efforts to combat the crisis seemed to oppose some picketers’ goal of convincing the president to involve himself in coordinating a more effective approach at the local level. Sophomore Xavier Burchfield expressed his view on the landslide crisis as well as the response effort.

“I [appreciate] Trump’s [remarks],” Burchfield said. “The landslide crisis is devastating. [People] have been [displaced] from their homes and left without basic necessities like water and [electricity]. I think [the government] is doing their best to help. I [support] the city council and how they have poured [funds] into this effort, [which] should be continued for prevention of future [damage].”

Trump spent most of his time at the conference giving a lengthy speech disparaging fellow candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, specifically their role in the mismanagement of the state of California.

“We cannot allow comrade Kamala Harris and the communist left to do to America what they did to California,” Trump said. “California is a mess. When you look at the kind of destruction that has taken place, it’s all man-made or woman-made. We’re not going to let that happen with four more years of [Harris] in the White House.”

Trump also emphasized the rampant inflation in California, attributing the skyrocketing cost of living and housing to Democratic mismanagement of the state. He argued that a Harris presidency would replicate that trend on a national scale.

“Those numbers are what Kamala Harris’s policies will do to America. The cost of living here is nearly 40% higher than the national average, and the cost of housing is nearly 97% higher,” he said.

Another criticism Trump brought up during the conference was that of public safety. Trump criticized Harris for her track record as San Francisco's District Attorney and her endorsement of the “defund the police” movement.

“Anybody in favor of defunding the police for one month, let alone [Harris’s] entire career, should never be President of the United States,” Trump said.

In contrast, Trump asserted himself as a “tough-on-crime” candidate, arguing for an expansion of policing, criminal prosecution and the prison system. Freshman Braden Yian expressed his view of the former president’s remarks.

“[The] speech gave us a very clear view of how Trump plans to pursue his presidency,” Yian said. “His criticism of [Harris] and the Democrats on issues like [public safety] and the economy gives [people] clarity as to what [Trump’s] plans are for the country if he wins this November.”

Trump’s press conference in Rancho Palos Verdes is one of few campaign appearances in the state leading up the election. His remarks on the landslides, although brief, highlighted the impacts the crisis has had on resident’s of the affected area, the varying perspectives on the response efforts, and the efforts of victims trying to bring more awareness to the issue. In addition, Trump’s critique of California’s governance helps separate himself as a tough, decisive alternative to Democratic negligence and provides an insight into the former president’s ambitions for the state and the nation as a whole. Freshman Nathan Li outlines the key takeaways from Trump’s appearance.

“I believe Trump’s statements at the Palos Verdes [press conference] gave insight into his view of California as a whole,” Li said. “[It] demonstrated his sympathy with the people of Rancho Palos Verdes’ struggles with the landslide crisis and [brought] to light local issues.”