Trump talks landslides, calls California ‘a mess’ at Rancho Palos Verdes press conference
On a cloudy Friday morning, former President Donald Trump took to the microphone at his golf course on the cliffs of Ranchos Palos Verdes to lambast Gov. Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris for their handling of local landslides, crime and immigration.
Trump called California “a mess” and said that the state and federal government are “missing in action” when it comes to helping residents impacted by the reactivation of an ancient landslide complex on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The spokesperson for Harris-Walz 2024, James Singer, swung back in a Friday morning statement dismissing the “bizarre” press conference as a “rambling, defensive, often incoherent event to promote his golf course.“
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The longstanding issue accelerated after the deluges of the last two winter seasons and reached a new crisis point on Labor Day when more than one hundred homes lost access to gas and electricity. On Sept. 3, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes to allow local authorities to more rapidly access federal resources.
When asked if Newsom plans to visit the landslide area, Daniel Villasenor, a deputy press secretary for Newsom, didn’t rule it out, saying, “We’ll keep you posted on the governor’s travel plans, but our focus remains on helping the residents there.”
Despite the assistance provided by Newsom — who Trump repeatedly referred to as ‘Newscum’ — Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank stood by Trump’s side at the press conference and thanked the former president for shining a spotlight on the city.
“The problem is bigger than the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, and so it’s important that we get the attention and the help of the people of California and of the federal government, so I’m here to thank Trump for having me here today,” said Cruikshank.
Cruikshank, a Republican who met with Trump Friday morning before the press conference, has been critical of the state’s response, urging Newsom to tour the landslide area.
After weighing in on the landslides, Trump embarked on a full throttle California-bash-a-thon, decrying the high cost of housing and living as well as crime, homelessness and illegal immigration.
“The decline of this whole state is one of the sad chapters in what’s gone on with the radical left lunatics that we have to put up with,” he said.
He slammed Harris’s track record as San Francisco’s district attorney, saying she “destroyed San Francisco” and created a “sanctuary city of crime.” He also criticized her for supporting then-Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s 2020 push to cut $150 million from law enforcement funding.
“Anybody that was ever in favor of defunding the police for one month, let alone her entire career, should never be President of the United States,” he said.
He then took swings at L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón.
“Gascón has unleashed hell upon the residents of Los Angeles, absolute hell,” he said. “Kamala supported Gascón’s decision to stop prosecuting criminals for trespassing, disturbing the peace, making criminal threats, loitering to commit prostitution and resisting arrest.”
Harris endorsed Gascón in his 2020 campaign. Part of Gascón’s campaign platform included a promise to stop prosecuting misdemeanor cases for a wide swath of offenses, including those mentioned by Trump. Gascón’s goal was to direct people who commit these ‘quality of life crimes’ to substance use and mental health treatment instead of the justice system.
Trump painted himself as a tougher-on-crime candidate, touting the fact that he has received endorsements from law enforcement associations across the country.
Trump also took frequent jabs at Newsom. If elected president, he said he would consider withholding federal firefighting aid to California if the governor declines to enact his policy priorities on issues like taxes.
“If he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out all his fires. And if we don’t give him all the money to put out the fires, he’s got problems,” Trump said. “He’s a lousy governor.”
On Friday evening, Trump was set to headline a Bay Area fundraiser hosted by billionaire software developer Tom Siebel and his wife, Stacey Siebel. Tom Siebel is the second cousin once removed of Gov. Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
Trump dedicated a great deal of the press conference to immigration, saying Harris “will turn America into a poor, violent Third World Refugee Camp.” He vowed to be America’s “border president” and vastly decrease the number of illegal immigrants crossing the Mexican border.
Trump also did not miss an opportunity to rip on Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, who lead the House charge to impeach Trump in 2020. He called him “crooked Adam Schiff,” “one of the most disgusting human beings,” and “one of the sleaziest politicians in history.”
When asked if he would endorse Schiff’s opponent, former Dodger player Steve Garvey, in the race for U.S. Senate Race, Trump said he hadn’t spoken with Garvey.
“I’m hearing he wants the MAGA endorsement, but he’s got to call me,” said Trump. “But if he had MAGA endorsement, he could win.”
On Tuesday evening, Trump went head-to-head with Harris on the debate stage in Philadelphia where the pair sparred over hot button issues issues of immigration, reproductive rights, national security and the economy.
During Friday’s press conference, Trump praised his own performance saying “I thought the debate was great. I thought I did well.”
However, on Thursday he posted on his Truth Social site that there “will be no” further debates with Harris.
In the 24 hours after the debate, the Harris campaign reported raising $47 million in donations and at a Thursday rally in Charlotte, NC, said she would be willing to debate Trump again.
“I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate because this election and what is at stake could not be more important,” she said.
In Friday’s statement Harris-Walz spokesperson Singer said, “Donald Trump took his train wreck on the debate stage straight to California,” saying the press conference “yet again showed the country how he is melting down.”
Currently, Harris has the advantage when it comes to campaign contributions.
The Harris campaign and Democratic National Committee reported raising a combined $361 million in August, leaving Harris with $404 million cash on hand, the campaign reported Friday.
Trump’s campaign team said on that it and the Republican Party raised $130 million in August and had $295 million cash on hand at the end of the month.
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