Donald Trump has just 25 days left to fundraise and rally voters in key swing states as he aims to defeat Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. Despite this, he’s decided to hold a significant event in the California desert on Saturday, an area more known for its music festivals than Trump supporters.
Although California isn’t crucial to his White House bid, Trump’s visit to Coachella could be tied to the 2020 election results. Of the six competitive House races in California, Trump is visiting the only district he won four years ago, currently represented by GOP Rep. Ken Calvert.
In 2020, Trump narrowly won Calvert’s district, and now Calvert is in another tight race, facing a well-funded Democratic challenger, Will Rollins. Trump’s appearance might energize voters and help Calvert secure a win, as the race remains neck-and-neck.
Joy Miedecke, president of the East Valley Republican Women Patriots, said their patriotic store is being “mobbed” by Republicans eager to buy Trump merchandise ahead of the rally.
While Trump is the main draw, Miedecke emphasized that Republicans are also closely watching down-ballot races, particularly Calvert’s. She noted that many Republicans are motivated to vote because of the close race between Calvert and Rollins.
Rollins’ campaign declined to comment, and Calvert’s team hasn’t confirmed if he’ll attend the rally. The reluctance reflects the delicate balance vulnerable California Republicans must strike—they need Trump’s support to energize their base but don’t want to align too closely with him, as he remains unpopular in many districts.
NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen stated, “President Trump’s rally is firing up voters who will reelect Representative Ken Calvert and stop extreme liberal Will Rollins.”
Trump’s campaign also sees the rally as an opportunity to appeal to Latino voters, emphasizing affordability and economic issues. Polling from USC suggests Trump is performing better with Latino voters in Calvert’s district compared to other swing seats.
However, not everyone is welcoming Trump. Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, leading a counter-protest, said the Latino-majority city won’t tolerate Trump’s past remarks about their community. “We’re not going to be intimidated,” Hernandez stated.
Dan Gottlieb from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also criticized Calvert, saying, “Even after Trump tried to block disaster aid for our firefighters, jacked up Californians’ taxes to reward buddies in other states, and bragged about taking reproductive freedom away from women, Ken Calvert is right there, sitting on Trump’s lap, applauding.”
Lastly, Miedecke mentioned that the RNC requested McDonald’s hamburgers be delivered to Trump’s plane after the rally, joking that a true California lover would have opted for In-N-Out.
