WOODSIDE — As former President Donald J. Trump arrived in this bucolic Bay Area town for a fundraiser hosted by a tech billionaire, supporters gathered at an intersection near the site, sporting Trump hats, shirts and flags to signal their support for the Republican candidate as he visited a deep-blue state.
Trump was scheduled to arrive in the Bay Area early Friday afternoon for a fundraiser hosted by tech billionaire Tom Siebel, who is related to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Tickets were reportedly sold for $500,000. The San Francisco Republican Party promoted the event online but provided few details.
By 3 p.m., it appeared Trump had arrived at the fundraiser, delayed on a day when he had appeared to be behind schedule from the get-go. The trip was part of a swing through California by Trump and his campaign: The former president held a news conference earlier Friday in Rancho Palos Verdes in Southern California, decrying his election opponent, former California senator and current Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as Newsom, for the state’s condition.
It marked Trump’s second fundraising visit to the Bay Area in recent months, following a visit to the home of San Francisco billionaire David Sacks in June. That event raised $12 million and drew a large crowd of supporters and protestors nearby.
Around noon Friday, between 50 and 100 supporters gathered outside the Pioneer Hotel, with many sporting red Trump garb. Several held flags and banners proclaiming “Trump 2024,” “Take America Back” and “God, Guns & Trump” in shades of red, white and blue.
One passerby yelled, “Go to jail, Trump! Trump can go to jail!” from their car as they drove past the hotel. Another gave a thumbs-down to the crowd.
The crowd repeatedly chanted “Fight!” throughout the rally as they waited for Trump’s motorcade to pass. One supporter rode by on a bike, steering with one hand and holding a Trump sign in the air with the other.
“He’s done everything the people have asked him to,” said Irma Polanco, 60, a resident of Fresno, adding that Democrats and Republicans should “agree to disagree” and focus on “what’s good for this country.”
“Trump wants what’s good for this country,” she added. Her priorities for this election, she said, include the cost of living and the military.
Kristi Rawe-Aldridge, 49 and a resident of Escalon, said that she has been a Trump supporter “forever.” She fears for the safety of her children and grandchildren, she said, and as a widow, has had to work two jobs to support her family.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like that for me,” she said. “I worry about my children’s future, I worry about my grandchildren’s future. I don’t know how they’re going to afford groceries.”
A woman sold Trump merchandise at a table in front of the hotel, ranging from American flag cowboy hats to “Trump 24” underwear.
A group of about five protesters made a brief appearance up the street from the pro-Trump rally, holding signs showing their support for Harris and their disdain for Trump. Signs read “I don’t vote for felons” and “Yuge mistake,” mocking Trump’s pronunciation.
Madeleine Gerhart, 30 of Woodside, came to show her support for Harris, saying that Harris is “one of the first” politicians taking climate change seriously as an existential threat. Alyssa Sterns, 29, another Harris supporter who said she is from Woodside but now lives in Austin, TX, wanted to show that the community is not of one political mind.
Rebekah Witter, 77 of Woodside, protested the rally — and brought her horse. She explained that she does not want someone with Trump’s character representing the United States. She wants the government to be “as honest as can be, for the people,” she said.
“Trump is a total threat to this country, and I don’t understand [the] Republican voting party,” Witter said. “Trump absolutely sows hate and violence.”
The Bay Area has been a popular area for fundraising for both political parties, with Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz hosting a fundraiser in San Francisco last month. Before stepping in as the Democratic candidate, Harris had visited an Oakland fundraiser in June. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden both visited separate fundraisers in May and June to grow the Democratic campaign’s war chest.
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, also visited a fundraiser in July, hosted by crypto billionaire Mike Belshe at the Four Seasons in East Palo Alto.
The Democratic push in California has proved profitable, with the Harris-Walz campaign raising $136 million in Harris’s home state.
Trump’s campaign has also seen success, raising $41 million in the state, marking California as the fourth-largest contributor to the Republican fund this election cycle, according to Open Secrets. Los Altos alone has donated more than $3 million to the Trump campaign.
Stuart Lee, 63 of San Jose, was eager to see Trump driving by — “even if it’s just a glimmer through that motorcade,” he said.
“This is supposedly a blue state. I don’t believe it. I’ve never believed it,” Lee said. “I know this thing is going to be won finally. The people are waking up.”
Lee Ann Gilbert, a resident of Woodside who owns the Pioneer Hotel where supporters gathered, said she was concerned that “people don’t have the funds they need to support their families.” She wants a president who will create jobs, focus on the economy, prioritize affordable housing and avoid war, she said.
“We’re all in on Donald,” she added. “Period.”
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