‘Paradise Lost’: Trump rallies devotees to Make America Great Again in the heart of liberal California

COACHELLA, California - When Donald Trump took the stage at a rally in the desert city of Coachella on Oct 12 to stirring patriotic music, the crowd leapt to its feet.

Many were screaming “U-S-A, U-S-A” and “fight, fight, fight”, which they continued to do throughout Trump’s rambling hour-long speech, the latter refrain having become the Republican presidential nominee’s de facto battle cry after his ear was grazed by a bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.

Thousands had gathered for this Trump rally in the unlikeliest of locations – Democrat-leaning California, a state he has little chance of winning – just 3-1/2 weeks before the presidential elections.

But as though challenging the stereotype of Trump’s base being white, non-college educated and male, they were a diverse lot: professionals, business owners, families with young children, along with blacks, Asians and Latinos.

“They think we’re a bunch of racists or white supremacists, but look around – you see all sorts of people here,” said Mr John Backen, the 54-year-old owner of a construction business.

The key issues for Trump’s supporters this election are increases in the cost of living, illegal immigration and crime, followed by concerns about censorship and some of the “woke” social policies promoted by Democrats.

Polls are showing a tight race between Trump and the Democratic candidate, Vice-President Kamala Harris, in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan and Georgia.

That Trump would devote time to a rally in a state he lost by almost 30 percentage points in 2020 suggests he was seeking to tie what he perceives to be the failings of his opponent to her home state. Ms Harris was California’s attorney-general and a junior senator.

‘Paradise Lost’

In his time as president, Trump had often said California represents all that is wrong with America, reserving particular scorn for the affordability and homelessness crisis in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“We’re not going to let Kamala Harris do to America what she did to California,” Trump said on Oct 12, even depicting the state – whose economy accounts for more than 10 per cent of the US economy – as “Paradise Lost”.

Some rally attendees echoed similar sentiments.

Mr Phu Nguyen, a 47-year-old who owns a nail salon franchise and arrived with a group of 13 other Vietnamese Americans, said there is strong support for Trump in the community.

A dozen women from a group called Vietnamese Americans for America First even appeared on the rally stage clad in chilli-red ao dai, the traditional Vietnamese tunic, offering their support for his border policies.

“He is a tough guy and we like that,” Mr Nguyen said.

“And the Democrats are soft on crime and homelessness. That’s why hundreds of thousands of people have left California for (Republican) states like Texas and Florida in the last few years,” he added.

Although data shows violent crime has declined to a 50-year low in 2022 nationally under the Biden administration, violent and property crimes are up in several California cities including Los Angeles, and polls show most voters are unhappy that certain shoplifting crimes were downgraded to misdemeanours in the state. 

A middle-aged couple holding up a sequinned flag that reads “Gays love Trump” said they were lifelong Democrat voters but were voting for Trump because of soaring crime in Los Angeles, where they live.

One of them, Mr Gary L, does lighting for Hollywood films and television shows, and did not want to give his last name or age because his industry is vehemently anti-Trump.

“I know I’ll lose work if I come out” as a Trump supporter, he said.

Trump devotees

Whatever one thinks of Trump voters, those who come to his rallies are a committed bunch.

With less than a week’s notice for this rally, many people drove two to nine hours to get here from other parts of California or neighbouring Nevada and Arizona.

Trump was not scheduled to speak until 5pm, but there were already snaking queues by 6am for parking that saw gleaming Tesla Cybertrucks idling next to crumbling motorhomes.

The atmosphere was patient, upbeat and friendly. It was a sea of red, white and blue with almost everyone wearing a Trump hat or T-shirt and holding up a flag or sign.

With temperatures soaring to 38 deg C, strangers shared warm bottles of water, soggy pizza and umbrellas – and the conversation invariably turned to politics.

A group of six black and Hispanic men in their 20s – one holding a handwritten “Black Dudes for Trump” sign – are worried that Ms Harris, whose past statements previously supported mandatory buybacks of assault weapons, will try to restrict gun ownership.

Security has been tightened since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in July.

Rally attendees were not allowed to walk or drive directly to this outdoor venue at a private ranch, but were bussed in from the parking areas.

Still, a Las Vegas man was reportedly arrested at a checkpoint on a broader perimeter for allegedly possessing a loaded firearm, a shotgun and a high-capacity magazine.

‘Only hope’

The rally began at 3pm with two hours of speeches from notable Trump supporters, including several lawmakers, the local sheriff and actor Dennis Quaid, one of the few big Hollywood names endorsing Trump.

When Trump finally took to the stage, there were the frequent trademark digressions from his prepared speech on his campaign platform: immigration, the economy and crime.

The loudest cheers and boos of the night came whenever he mentioned “New-scum” – Trump’s derisive nickname for California Governor Gavin Newsom – mocked President Joe Biden or Ms Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, and promised to take on “woke”, liberal ideas.

Trump eventually finished with a vow to “make America healthy again… proud again… great again”, before half-walking and half-dancing off the stage to the strains of the Village People’s iconic anthem, YMCA.

For his exhausted but elated supporters, though, this cued a mad dash for the exits, and many had another hours-long drive ahead.

But it was all worth it, said Mr Backen. “I really believe he is the only hope for saving our country.”