Why Donald Trump Had to Attack California

[ancianita]

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/10/trump-california-history-unrest-00396549

Excellent thinking about why Trump is attacking the 5th biggest economy on planet Earth.

"...If a place as big and diverse as California can be said to have a coherent set of values, those today would include respect for the environment, benevolence toward immigrants, support for living wages and insistence on civilian control over police. And if those values prevail, they do so at the expense of Trump, who is on the opposite side of every one of them.

That tension has flared time and again in the Trump era, as the president has bashed California over its struggles with homelessness, its permissive voting rules and its determination to limit auto emissions, all manifestations of those values. Although California is a powerful donor state to the federal government — taxpayers here pay about $80 billion a year more than the state receives in federal services — Trump withheld support for homeowners devastated by January wildfires, demanding that federal aid be contingent on the state adopting Voter ID laws to curb fictional voter abuse that Trump believes cost him the state in his losing campaigns here.

That was an attempt at bribery. It failed. Now comes force.

From Trump’s perspective, California is thumbing its nose at his program for America. He’s right about that. What seems to confound him and his allies is that it’s not California’s political leadership that’s behind that contempt — it’s not Newsom or Bass or the state legislature — it’s the people of the state, in overwhelming numbers and relying on deeply held beliefs. Those leaders are merely reflecting back what their constituents demand. Again, Trump lost to Biden here by almost 30 points — more than 5 million votes —- despite all the state’s struggles and all the former president’s flaws...

And so, this government-induced unrest continues. If the goal is to calm Los Angeles, the solution would be simple: Withdraw federal forces and let the LAPD and Sheriff’s Department do their jobs.
But that’s not the goal.
The unrest goes on because Trump needs it to.
He’s not just fighting for deportations.
He’s fighting for his values in a state that rejects them."

AMEN. When you come for California, you best not miss.

[Silent Type]

1. If he did, appears he screwed up so far.

[ancianita]

2. Yes. But only to those who've watched the facts on the ground. His followers don't. They believe his lies

about LA and California. Today's Quinnipiac Poll makes him look bad, but what it doesn't show is how many millions of his voters believe his lies.
Good thing Lawrence nightly tells millions about every lie the felon tells.
The felon's lied every day of his life about California.
His rethug followers like Elise Stefanik spread his lies and his minions still believe them.

[Silent Type]

4. I get it. I look at things like, might LA convert a percent or two who swung for trump late and a

few percent who sat out. If so, we’d win House in midterms, which is a big step toward 2028.

Right now, I think we might get a few percent. If it goes to hell in LA or elsewhere, trump might gain a tad. But we are in good place right now. Fingers crossed.

[Hassler]

3. 4th biggest economy...like Harvard,

California is the biggest fish. Like always it's his fragile ego.

[UTUSN]

5. K&R

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Same reason Putin invaded Ukraine: could not allow a free democratic Ukr outcompete Ruzzia. . . . n t

[MadameButterfly]

12. and he saw some stuff he wanted

so he figured he'd take it

[usonian]

7. Farmer Trump-Lover's giant banner just outside Fresno is limp

Like his Fuhrer's cognitive organ.

And his brain.

Ag reports on the radio talk about lost subsidies, increasing costs of business and other UUUGE benefits of the orange menace.

[Figarosmom]

8. All that yes, but its the republican way to

Destroy the Democrat you believe could win the next Presidential race. All he's doing is making Newsom a hero.

[Johonny]

9. California has the most registered Republicans

And Trump hates those guys . . .

[Bread and Circuses]

10. CA is now #4 largest economy in the world ! The Bear says : No Kings! California Republic .

[Tarzanrock]

11. A clear message from 'Occupied Los Angeles'

'Occupied Los Angeles' is Guernica -- we here in Los Angeles are the front line in the War against American Fascism.