Trump Portrays California as a ‘Paradise Lost’ in Recent Speech
Making an appearance in a Democratic stronghold on a scorching 100-degree day seemed like an unusual campaign strategy for Trump with just 23 days remaining until the election.
TroibNews 
COACHELLA, California — At a rally in the Coachella Valley on Saturday, Donald Trump described California as a “Paradise Lost,” attributing its current state to Kamala Harris and characterizing it as a hellscape overrun by violent gangs.
“She’s imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World,” Trump declared, wearing a red Make America Great Again hat as the temperature soared to 100 degrees.
This rhetoric reflected Trump’s increasingly xenophobic and racist stance towards immigrants, whom he portrays as criminals.
“Kamala Harris got you into this mess and only Trump is going to get you out of it,” he asserted.
During the rally, hosted in an area famous for its annual music festival, Trump painted a picture of California in decline.
He reminisced that the state previously boasted the “best schools, safest communities and a booming middle class,” but claimed its deterioration began during Harris's tenure as San Francisco district attorney.
“Today California has the highest inflation, the highest taxes, the highest gas prices, the highest cost of living, the most regulations,” he added.
“Really it’s a Paradise Lost but we’re going to bring it back,” he promised.
Trump emphasized that “mass illegal immigration” is “by far one of the biggest factors in destroying California,” citing instances of violent crime. This assertion runs counter to studies indicating that immigrants, including those undocumented, are statistically less likely to engage in criminal behavior than their U.S.-born counterparts. He vowed to abolish California’s sanctuary cities, which he referred to as “a place where you keep criminals.”
California has often been targeted by conservatives, who increasingly link the state’s homelessness crisis and soaring living costs to Harris and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s objectives for the nation. However, performing in a solidly blue state on such a hot day appeared to be an unconventional campaign move for Trump, especially with only 23 days remaining before the election to fundraise and connect with voters in swing states.
Nevertheless, the rally's location lies at the edge of a competitive House district currently represented by GOP Rep. Ken Calvert. Of the six swing seats in the state, Calvert’s is the only one that Trump claimed in 2020. This visit could serve to galvanize support among California’s numerous registered Republicans, as it is the nation's most populous state.
Calvert addressed the crowd before Trump, who acknowledged the congressman briefly during his nearly 80-minute speech.
“Good job Ken, very good job. Do we have enough people for you? Broke the record. Everybody needs to get out and vote for Ken,” Trump stated, labeling Calvert’s opponent, former federal prosecutor Will Rollins, a “radical California liberal.”
Attempting to engage the region’s moderate voters, Trump remarked, “Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, this election is your chance to send a message to the world, the people of California are not going to take it any longer.”
He also recognized other prominent Republicans in attendance, including state GOP chair Jessica Millan Patterson and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who is contemplating a gubernatorial run in California, as well as Southern California Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is also considering a challenging bid for governor.
Trump did not miss the chance to take jabs at Rep. Adam Schiff, branding the Democrat, who led the impeachment proceedings against him, a “sleazebag” and “shifty.” While Schiff is expected to secure his Senate seat against Republican Steve Garvey, another Los Angeles Democrat faces more challenging prospects.
Progressive LA District Attorney George Gascon is significantly trailing a more moderate opponent, with likely voters expressing a desire for “change” in his office.
“I don’t know Gascon but I hear he’s down in the polls and that’s a very good thing,” Trump remarked.
Trump also critiqued California’s environmental policies, targeting Governor Gavin Newsom for rerouting water from farmers to conserve the endangered Delta Smelt.
“Everybody uses the environment to stop things but we’re not going to let that happen,” he pronounced.
He vowed to compel Newsom to allocate more water to California farmers and reiterated the threat of withholding federal wildfire funding if the governor did not comply.
“We’ll force it down his throat and we’ll say, ‘Gavin if you don’t do it, we won’t give you any of that fire money for all the forest fires.’”
In response, Newsom took to X, where he remarked that Trump “showed us exactly who he is—threatening life-saving disaster aid to achieve his political goals,” adding, “This man is sick.”
Trump also revisited his criticism of California's electric vehicle regulations, alleging that the state experiences “brownouts and blackouts every weekend, every day” and warned that demand for electricity would soar.
“I would not allow California politicians to get away with their plan to impose a 100 percent ban on the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks,” he insisted.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
“She’s imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World,” Trump declared, wearing a red Make America Great Again hat as the temperature soared to 100 degrees.
This rhetoric reflected Trump’s increasingly xenophobic and racist stance towards immigrants, whom he portrays as criminals.
“Kamala Harris got you into this mess and only Trump is going to get you out of it,” he asserted.
During the rally, hosted in an area famous for its annual music festival, Trump painted a picture of California in decline.
He reminisced that the state previously boasted the “best schools, safest communities and a booming middle class,” but claimed its deterioration began during Harris's tenure as San Francisco district attorney.
“Today California has the highest inflation, the highest taxes, the highest gas prices, the highest cost of living, the most regulations,” he added.
“Really it’s a Paradise Lost but we’re going to bring it back,” he promised.
Trump emphasized that “mass illegal immigration” is “by far one of the biggest factors in destroying California,” citing instances of violent crime. This assertion runs counter to studies indicating that immigrants, including those undocumented, are statistically less likely to engage in criminal behavior than their U.S.-born counterparts. He vowed to abolish California’s sanctuary cities, which he referred to as “a place where you keep criminals.”
California has often been targeted by conservatives, who increasingly link the state’s homelessness crisis and soaring living costs to Harris and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s objectives for the nation. However, performing in a solidly blue state on such a hot day appeared to be an unconventional campaign move for Trump, especially with only 23 days remaining before the election to fundraise and connect with voters in swing states.
Nevertheless, the rally's location lies at the edge of a competitive House district currently represented by GOP Rep. Ken Calvert. Of the six swing seats in the state, Calvert’s is the only one that Trump claimed in 2020. This visit could serve to galvanize support among California’s numerous registered Republicans, as it is the nation's most populous state.
Calvert addressed the crowd before Trump, who acknowledged the congressman briefly during his nearly 80-minute speech.
“Good job Ken, very good job. Do we have enough people for you? Broke the record. Everybody needs to get out and vote for Ken,” Trump stated, labeling Calvert’s opponent, former federal prosecutor Will Rollins, a “radical California liberal.”
Attempting to engage the region’s moderate voters, Trump remarked, “Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, this election is your chance to send a message to the world, the people of California are not going to take it any longer.”
He also recognized other prominent Republicans in attendance, including state GOP chair Jessica Millan Patterson and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who is contemplating a gubernatorial run in California, as well as Southern California Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is also considering a challenging bid for governor.
Trump did not miss the chance to take jabs at Rep. Adam Schiff, branding the Democrat, who led the impeachment proceedings against him, a “sleazebag” and “shifty.” While Schiff is expected to secure his Senate seat against Republican Steve Garvey, another Los Angeles Democrat faces more challenging prospects.
Progressive LA District Attorney George Gascon is significantly trailing a more moderate opponent, with likely voters expressing a desire for “change” in his office.
“I don’t know Gascon but I hear he’s down in the polls and that’s a very good thing,” Trump remarked.
Trump also critiqued California’s environmental policies, targeting Governor Gavin Newsom for rerouting water from farmers to conserve the endangered Delta Smelt.
“Everybody uses the environment to stop things but we’re not going to let that happen,” he pronounced.
He vowed to compel Newsom to allocate more water to California farmers and reiterated the threat of withholding federal wildfire funding if the governor did not comply.
“We’ll force it down his throat and we’ll say, ‘Gavin if you don’t do it, we won’t give you any of that fire money for all the forest fires.’”
In response, Newsom took to X, where he remarked that Trump “showed us exactly who he is—threatening life-saving disaster aid to achieve his political goals,” adding, “This man is sick.”
Trump also revisited his criticism of California's electric vehicle regulations, alleging that the state experiences “brownouts and blackouts every weekend, every day” and warned that demand for electricity would soar.
“I would not allow California politicians to get away with their plan to impose a 100 percent ban on the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks,” he insisted.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
