Support Climbs For Trump Following Coachella Rally

Former President and Presidential candidate Donald Trump gave a rally at a polo field on Calhoun Ranch in Coachella on Saturday, with his unusual mid-October rally with multiple goals in mind a success, despite an arrest before the event.

In the days leading up to the rally, Trump had vowed to go after Vice President Kamala Harris in her home state, shore up the Latino vote, bump up support in nearby Nevada and Arizona, meet with donors, and help bring out voters for close House election. Some Harris supporters, and even members of Harris’ own staff, mocked the Trump campaign for the decision. Despite that, the rally still happened, with Trump going out to Coachella between an event in Las Vegas earlier on Saturday, and an Arizona rally on Sunday. While there was a small 60 person protest in Coachella and a man with firearms, fake I.D.’s and a fake press pass was apprehended by police, it did little to alter the event, with some attendees only having to stay longer as a result for the latter incident.

As promised, Trump went after Harris on uniquely Californian issues and some national issues, like water usage, homelessness and cost of living. He also went after Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), Governor Gavin Newsom, and President Joe Biden, amongst other people.

During his speech, Trump said at one point “California has the highest inflation, the highest taxes, the highest gas prices, the highest cost of living, the most regulations, the most expensive utilities, the most homelessness, the most crime, the most decay and the most illegal aliens. Other than that, you’re doing quite well, actually. We’re not going to let Kamala Harris do to America what she did to California.

“We’re going to take care of your water situation, force it down his throat, and we’ll say: Gavin, if you don’t do it, we’re not giving any of that fire money that we send you all the time for all the fire, forest fires that you have.”

He also went after protestors there, including mocking a protestor with a sign that said “Go Back Home To Mommy”.

Trumpchella

Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-CA) said of Trump’s Saturday rally “We are familiar with having presidents come and leave a mark here, and we respect and love them. But ex-President Trump is different. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of respect for the demographics that live here. Not just in his vile rhetoric but also in his policies.”

While Ruiz and other criticized the speech, preliminary polling afterwards found that the rally hit the high water marks. Latino voters in the tri-state region responded positively, along with supporters who came from Nevada and Arizona.

“For the voters from Arizona and Nevada, it is due in part to his visits to them during his whole West Coast swing, but Coachella, held in Harris’ state, was definitely the crown jewel,” explained voter outreach coordinator Luis Valdez to the Globe on Monday. “You know, Nevada (Latest polls there show Trump with a minor advantage) and Arizona (Polls there have him ahead by several points) needed to be more solidified, and these events on Saturday and Sunday helped that.

“But it was Latino voters who were critical. We have a phone poll going right now, and we are still very early in results. You know, we want to get Latinos from all demographics. But what we have seen so far, after the rally, that Trump was seen more positively by Latinos. The big reason why is the economy and the cost of living. Him going after Harris for that and other California problems was big. Farm workers, usually voting for Democrats, we saw a lot more come towards Trump because of what he wants to do with water out here, switching out some environmental usage for more farm usage. Harris can’t match that.

“Again, early numbers, but the event was received a lot more positively. The media is focusing mostly on that apprehended man with a gun, but with those who were there, he spoke to them. Yeah, it was hot, and yeah, people had a hard time getting out. But it was like the namesake concert in those ways too on those regards. But he came, he spoke, and he did what he aimed to do. The only thing we don’t know is if Congressional candidates saw any rise. The poll didn’t ask about that. But I’m guessing it helped by a non-zero percentage.”