At California Rally, Trump Says He Will Bring the State Back

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures while walking onstage for a campaign rally in Coachella, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

COACHELLA, Calif.—Around 50,000 people attended a rare California rally held by former President Donald Trump on Oct. 12 in the city of Coachella in Southern California, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.

Trump promised to deliver more water to farmers for irrigation in the state if he is reelected on Nov. 5.

“That farmland is going to be the most fertile land,” Trump said.

Building on earlier promises, Trump vowed to make interest on new car loans tax-deductible for all Americans, curb inflation, strengthen the economy with a return to more fracking, and issue tougher trade tariffs on Mexico and China to rebuild America’s manufacturing and industry. He also reiterated earlier pledges to stop taxing tips and Social Security benefits.

“For two generations of American history, California stood as the beacon of what our country aspired to become. It really did,” Trump said.

But today, the state has the highest inflation, gas prices, and cost of living, with residents facing expensive utilities and high regulations, homelessness, crime, illegal immigration, and overall decay, he said.

“California is really—it’s a paradise lost,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring it back.”

Trump again said if Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn’t agree with policies such as providing more water for farmers, he would withhold federal funding to the state for wildfires. Trump made similar comments at a press conference in Rancho Palos Verdes on Sept. 13.

Newsom again responded on social media, saying Trump “shows us exactly who he is—threatening life-saving disaster aid to achieve his political goals.”

At the rally, Trump said, that although fixing the economy and cutting inflation are top priorities, the border crisis is the No. 1 issue.

A second Trump administration would mean “the migrant invasion ends, and the restoration of our country begins,” and a return to “common sense” government, he said.

Outside of the rally, prior to Trump’s arrival, police arrested a man who was charged with possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said he believes his deputies thwarted an assassination attempt. At a press conference, Bianco declined to comment on the alleged statements made by the suspect regarding Trump but said his department is working with the Secret Service and FBI.

The man arrested denied to local media that he intended to harm the former president.

In a joint statement, the Department of Justice, Secret Service, and FBI said they are aware of the arrest.

“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

“While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.”

Coachella Mayor Says Trump ‘Wasn’t Invited’

Preceding the rally, Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez criticized Trump’s visit.

“The City of Coachella was proud to welcome Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2020 primary election, but news of former President Trump’s upcoming visit has been met very differently,” Hernandez posted on Instagram on Oct. 8. “He has consistently expressed disdain for the type of diversity that helps define Coachella. We don’t know why Trump is visiting near Coachella, but we know he wasn’t invited by the people who live here. He ain’t like us.”

County Sheriff Bianco, who also spoke at the rally, told The Epoch Times Hernandez’s comments are “irresponsible” and “embarrassing” to Riverside County, and make law enforcement more difficult.

Hernandez did not respond to a request for comment.

A crowd starts to form around the bulletproof glass podium where Trump later spoke at a rally in Coachella, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2024. Brad Jones/The Epoch Times

The Calhoun Ranch property, where the rally was held, is owned by the Haagen family, who are Republican donors who requested to hold the rally at the site, Trump said.

Trump Supporters

At the rally, Rich and Jennifer Tullius of Rancho Cucamonga, California, told The Epoch Times they’ve attended six other Trump rallies in other states such as Florida and Nevada, and were happy to endure the heat to attend another one in California.

The couple said closing the border is their most important issue, and next is lowering costs for Americans.

Rich and Jennifer Tullius of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2024. Brad Jones/The Epoch Times

“Close our borders. Stop allowing all drug cartels and child trafficking into our country,” Jennifer Tullius said. The drug cartels are “killing our family members, killing our children, killing our brothers and sisters.”

She said, in line with Trump’s platform, the country needs to bring back “Made in America” products and rebuild American industry instead of allowing trade imbalances that allow China to export so many products to the United States.

Another married couple, Margaret and Mike, from Yucca Valley, Calif.—who preferred not to provide their last name—agreed the border crisis and inflation are top issues this election.

“I’m out here because I‘m concerned about the direction our country’s going. I’m concerned about the open borders,” Margaret said. “Trump supporters—we care what happens to our country. We need to put the American people first.”

Lapson Luu, the CEO of Vietnamese Americans for America First, a nationwide “anti-communist” organization based in Orange County and formed in 2022 to support Trump, said about 100 members from all over the country—clad in long, red dresses—attended Saturday’s rally.

The organization supports America First policies and legal immigration but opposes policies that allow illegal immigration.

Lapson Luu, the CEO of Vietnamese Americans for America First, a nationwide organization based in Orange County, formed in 2022 to support former President Donald Trump with members. Brad Jones/The Epoch Times

Deborah Pauly, president of Conservative Patriots of Orange County, told The Epoch Times in a text message preceding the rally that California patriots were “stoked and excited” Trump hasn’t forgotten them.

“He is willing to fight, fight, fight for all of America—not just the easy states for him to win, nor the ones that are swing states,” Pauly said. “He is for us and that is why we are for him.”

Actor Dennis Quaid, who starred in the movie “Reagan,” released over the summer, said at the rally that it’s time for Americans to stand up and “pick a side,” and he recommended supporting Trump.

What’s Next?

Trump was scheduled to rally supporters at Prescott Valley, Arizona, on Sunday at Findlay Toyota Arena. This will be Trump’s fourth trip to Arizona this year. He visited the same town in 2016 and 2022.

Trump also visited Aurora, Colorado, before another rally in Reno, Nevada, on Oct. 11.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in battleground North Carolina on Saturday and Sunday to support hurricane relief efforts, talk about her economic plans, and highlight Thursday’s start of early voting in the state, her campaign said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.