Former President Donald Trump descended upon California’s Coachella Valley on Saturday, holding a rally that drew thousands of supporters to the solidly blue state.
The rally, held at Calhoun Ranch on the outskirts of Coachella and Indio, offered a glimpse into Trump’s campaign strategy as he seeks to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris on her home turf in the upcoming election.
Trump took the stage at 5:30 p.m. PST, slightly later than scheduled, to the familiar strains of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”
While Trump campaigned in California, Harris was notably absent from her home state. Instead, she visited North Carolina, a crucial swing state, where she met with Black community leaders and assisted with hurricane relief efforts.
Trump wasted no time in addressing the excited crowd, estimated by the Riverside County Fire Marshall to accommodate up to 15,000 people.
As temperatures soared to over 95 degrees, Trump jokingly polled the audience on whether he should don his iconic “Make America Great Again” hat or showcase his famous hairstyle. Opting for practicality, he put on the cap, noting, “That sun is hot!”
Here are some key takeaways from today’s rally:
Immigration Takes Center Stage
Throughout his speech, Trump touched on several key issues, with immigration and border security taking center stage. He ranked the border as the top issue facing the nation, placing it above economic concerns.
Trump criticized the current administration’s handling of immigration policies, stating, “I think the border is number one, because you know, we can fix things we can do, but what they’ve done to our country at the border is unbelievable.”
The former president reiterated his controversial “Aurora” mass deportation plan during the rally. Trump, who had previously named the plan after Aurora, Colorado, where he claimed the program would begin, vowed to dramatically address immigration issues if elected in November.
“I will rescue Coachella and every town that has been invaded and conquered,” Trump declared to his supporters, echoing his earlier statements about Aurora. He referred to Election Day as “liberation day in America,” promising swift action on immigration.
The “Aurora” plan, as outlined by Trump, includes deploying “elite squads” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, and other federal law enforcement agencies to locate and deport undocumented immigrants.
Trump also repeated his call for severe penalties, including seeking the death penalty for undocumented migrants convicted of killing American citizens or law enforcement officers.
California’s Environmental Policies Under Fire
The former president also took aim at California’s environmental policies, particularly the state’s plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
Trump called it an “insane electric vehicle mandate” and vowed to block the initiative if elected, though he did not specify how he would accomplish this.
He criticized the state’s energy infrastructure, asking rhetorically, “Isn’t it crazy you have brownouts, blackouts every weekend, every day?”
While mentioning his friendship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump acknowledged his appreciation for electric vehicles but suggested they are for a specific market.
Inaccurate Claims About Wars and Tax Cuts
Trump made several inaccurate claims during his speech. He erroneously stated that there were no wars during his administration, ignoring ongoing conflicts such as Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s Donbas region and the deaths of at least 65 active-duty troops in hostile action during his presidency.
Additionally, Trump falsely claimed that his administration passed the largest tax cut in American history.
In reality, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Trump championed ranks as the eighth-largest tax cut since 1918 as a percentage of gross domestic product, according to a 2017 analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Hollywood Support
The rally featured appearances by prominent supporters, including actor Dennis Quaid, who received a standing ovation from the crowd of MAGA supporters.
The actor, who recently portrayed former President Ronald Reagan in a new biopic, drew parallels between the two Republican presidents and voiced his support for Trump’s policies.
“I am here to tell you that it is time to pick a side,” Quaid declared. “Are we going to be a nation that stands for the constitution or for TikTok? A nation of law and order or wide-open borders?”
He shared that Reagan was his favorite president of the 20th century and Trump his favorite of the 21st.
Quaid also touched on immigration, sharing a personal anecdote about his family employing a housekeeper who was an illegal immigrant fearful of deportation under Trump. He explained how he became her sponsor, stating, “She has her Green Card today, but she still wants her citizenship so she can vote for Donald Trump.”
Trump’s Polling Chances in California
Despite California’s strong Democratic leanings, Trump’s appearance highlights the state’s significance in the electoral landscape.
With 5.5 million registered Republican voters, California remains a valuable source of support and campaign contributions for the GOP.
Recent polling from the University of California Berkeley shows Harris leading Trump by 22 points statewide, with 57 percent of the vote compared to Trump’s percent.
However, the race appears much tighter in certain regions, including the Inland Empire where the rally took place. There, Trump trails by just two points, well within the poll’s margin of error.
Newsweek contacted Trump’s campaign via email on Saturday for comment.
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