Trump says Kamala Harris ‘destroyed’ California

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference held at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. – Speaking at a Rancho Palos Verdes news conference, former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump voiced support Friday for residents impacted by landslides plaguing the hillside community and praising local leaders for doing a “great job” responding to the crisis.

He also spent a lengthy amount of time disparaging his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, saying the country cannot allow Harris “and the communist left to do to America what they did to the state of California.”

Trump spoke to reporters at the Trump National Golf Course, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop on Friday morning, following a Thursday night fundraiser he attended in the Beverly Hills area.

About a dozen Rancho Palos Verdes impacted by the landslide gathered along the road leading into the golf club Friday morning, holding signs reading “Save Our Homes” and “Slip Sliding Away.” Other signs read “200+ Homes, No Gas, No Power, No Help.”

Trump met with RPV Mayor John Cruikshank prior to the Friday morning news conference, and the former president expressed support for the residents.

“I want to express my support for all of the families affected by the landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes,” Trump said. “… This area is very solid, but you go a couple of miles down, you’ll see something that’s pretty amazing.

The mountain is moving. And it could be stopped but they need some help from the government. So I hope they get the help. And I’m sure John will have the help. And I want to thank the mayor for the great job he’s doing, and tell that to the people, what a great job he’s doing.”

He also said he wanted to “salute all the public safety and emergency personnel that are working down the road as well as the utility workers who are fighting to restore services to local residents.”

Dozens of homes in the landslide area have lost electric and natural gas service, and some have also lost internet and cable services due to the deteriorating conditions.

One resident who gathered outside the golf club ahead of the news conference told KTLA5 she hoped her presence at Trump’s appearance can “put pressure on our governor and our City Council to get resources” to assist victims of the slide.

She said she would wait to see what came of a meeting between Cruikshank and Trump, but added, “Why isn’t our city capable of managing this emergency on their own?”

The majority of Trump’s news conference, however, was spent disparaging Harris, as Trump repeated many of his long-standing criticisms, most notably his contentions about millions of illegal immigrants flowing over the border.

“I’m here today in California with a very simple message for the American people — we cannot allow comrade Kamala Harris and the communist left to do to America what they did to California,” Trump said. “The state of California is a mess. There’s people leaving, and nothing’s gonna stop them.

They’re going to other states, some are going to other countries.”

Trump said Harris “destroyed San Francisco and she destroyed the state.” “When you look at the kind of destruction that’s taken place, it’s all man-made or woman-made destruction. … It’s things that never should have happened, but we’re not going to let that happen with four more years of her in the White House.”

On Thursday night, Trump attended a fundraiser in the Beverly Hills area.

Attending the event cost a minimum of $3,300. Preferred seats were being offered for $7,500, while $50,000 included a photo opp and attendance at a reception.

A $125,000 ticket elevated the attendee to a co-host of the event, and included a roundtable discussion with Trump, along with a photo opp and reception. Serving as a member of the host committee cost $250,000.

Trump was last in Southern California in June, when he attended a sold-out luncheon event in Newport Beach and an evening event in Beverly Hills.

That visit was Trump’s first to Southern California since Sept. 29-30, when he spoke at the California Republican Party Fall Convention in Anaheim and a fundraiser in Costa Mesa and visited the Carvel Ice Cream shop in Westwood.

Trump was scheduled to fly to Northern California later Friday to attend another fundraiser in Woodside. (CNS)