COACHELLA, Calif. () — With less than 25 days to the election, former President Donald Trump spent his Saturday evening campaigning in Coachella, a predominately blue community he didn’t win in 2020 and could likely lose again.
Trump spent time dissing Vice President Kamala Harris’ record as California’s top prosecutor.
“Kamala Harris and the radical Democrats have destroyed this state,” Trump told a crowd of supporters.
The former president also attacked Harris and Democrats on the state’s economy.
“We’re going to make America affordable again,” Trump said. “For all of the working people struggling under the highest tax state in the nation, we will have large tax cuts.”
Trump slammed Harris on illegal immigration along the southern border, promising supporters there will be mass deportations.
Speaking for 80 minutes Saturday night, Trump ran through the standard list of Republican complaints about the Democrat-dominated state – its large number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, its homeless population and its thicket of regulations – and waded into a water rights battle over the endangered Delta smelt that has pitted environmentalists against farmers.
The former president was particularly scathing about illegal immigration, warning at one point: “Your children are in danger. You can’t go to school with these people, these people are from a different planet.”
He continued his long-running spat with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, whom Trump called “New-scum.” Trump again threatened Newsom over the water rights battle, saying that if he didn’t act in favor of farmers, “we’re not giving you any of that fire money that we send you all the time for all the forest fires that you have.”
Supporters waited for hours in triple-digit heat. Counter-protesters, including the city’s mayor, were also there.
“We are here to say that Donald Trump, that the Republicans and their agenda, are not going to intimidate us even though they are in our backyard,” Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said.
Rep. Raul Ruiz represents Coachella and says he’s baffled by Trump’s visit to his predominantly Democrat and Latino district.
“I think he’s here for theatrics because we know that Trump’s economic plan would raise costs for the middle class, devastate our workforce that relies on immigration,” Ruiz said.
Trump’s rally also featured at least one celebrity Southern California resident – Emmy-nominated actor Dennis Quaid. Quaid, who recently portrayed Ronald Reagan in the film “Reagan,” called Trump his favorite president of the 21st century.
Some political strategists believe Trump’s California visit was more of a fundraising stop to capitalize on the state’s wealthy donors, rather than a pitch for votes.
A photo with the former president at the Coachella rally cost guests $25,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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