Latest news with #AmericanRestorationTour
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
MAGA makes its pitch to L.A.'s deep-blue Westside
Good morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day. After Donald Trump's reelection last year, the Democratic Party has been criticized as out of touch, fragmented and rudderless. MAGA Republicans looked to capitalize on that over the weekend with a rally aimed at courting disaffected Democrats in liberal Los Angeles County, meeting in West Hollywood and then marching into Beverly Hills. The Sunday rally, dubbed the 'American Restoration Tour,' was organized by members of the #WalkAway movement, which is encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party. Although Democrat Kamala Harris won California's electoral votes in last year's presidential election, her margin declined from Joe Biden's 2020 victory. And down ballot, voters challenged the Golden State's deep blue reputation by rejecting some progressive efforts aimed at affordable housing, income inequality and criminal justice reform. Given Democrats' current identity crisis, it's not surprising that conservatives, many still riding the high of Trump's victory, are making their pitch and making it here. The rally was held in Beverly Gardens Park, which 'has been the site of frequent demonstrations in support of Trump,' Times reporters Lila Seidman and Seema Mehta wrote this week. 'Although much of the affluent Westside skews liberal, Beverly Hills is home to neighborhoods that repeatedly voted for Trump,' they noted. The rally drew a few hundred attendees and began as a march in the city of West Hollywood. Diners in the LGBTQ+ enclave who gathered for brunch and drag queen performances got a different show as Trump supporters marched along Santa Monica Boulevard. The MAGA march was met with a slightly larger number of counterprotesters, who gathered nearby, yelling, 'No KKK! No fascist USA! No Trump!' The event stayed mostly peaceful, my colleagues reported, other than a small fight and an arrest at the rally in Beverly Hills. There was a common thread linking many of the speakers, Seema and Lila reported: 'former liberals who felt disenfranchised by the Democratic Party and became full-throated Trump supporters.' That included actress Natalie Beisner, who said she voted for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but rethought her political views in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Beisner told the crowd that she was called racist and selfish for raising concerns that protesters against the murder of George Floyd were allowed to gather en masse but she was not allowed to be with her grandmother as she died. 'These people refused to acknowledge that I might have an honest reason for disagreeing with them. There was no conversation,' Beisner said. 'So I walked away from the Democrat Party because for the first time in my life, I connected my suffering directly to Democrat policies.' Also among the rally's speakers was former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, now based in San Diego, where he hosts a political show. 'They are the movement that allowed this great state to burn,' Gaetz told the crowd, referring to Democrats. 'They are the movement that turned what was paradise over to the homeless and illegal aliens.' Democratic defectors to the MAGAverse would be welcomed 'with a patriotic embrace,' Gaetz added. One thing that didn't come up during the rally: the Department of Justice's investigation into Gaetz for allegations of child sex trafficking, which did not lead to charges. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November and withdrew himself from consideration to be U.S. attorney general after his nomination by then-President-elect Trump. The House Ethics Committee reported late last year that it had found evidence that Gaetz abused drugs and paid for sex with a minor during his tenure in Congress. 'Disrupt, break, defund': Trump's imperial first 100 days LAFD's DEI bureau drew the right's ire. It's now on the chopping block Trump's support is dropping nationwide and across demographics, polls show What else is going on Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. Can $1,000 a month help more students land nursing careers? An L.A. pilot effort says yes. L.A. Community College District is giving more than 200 low-income students $1,000 a month in unrestricted income in hopes of keeping them enrolled and helping deliver a more diverse and multilingual healthcare workforce. Other must reads How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Going out Staying in Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they're important to you. Today's great photo is from Times photographer Myung J. Chun at the 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Have a great day, from the Essential California team Ryan Fonseca, reporterAndrew Campa, Sunday reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorChristian Orozco, assistant editorKarim Doumar, head of newsletters Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump supporters look for disaffected Democrats in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills
Supporters of President Trump and counter-protesters converged in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on Sunday in a small but raucous confrontation that included a performance from a pro-Trump punk rock icon and remarks from a disgraced ex-congressman. At a rally aimed at encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz portrayed the Republican Party as "patriotic and joyful" while denigrating the opposition as "angry and lonely." "They are the movement that allowed this great state to burn," Gaetz said. "They are the movement that turned what was paradise over to the homeless and illegal aliens." Gaetz, currently hosting a political news show for One America News Network from San Diego, had stepped down from his congressional seat after Trump nominated him to be the nation's attorney general. The nomination sparked controversy because Gaetz was previously under investigation by the Department of Justice for allegations of child sex trafficking. After a long-running probe, prosecutors did not file charges. Gaetz ultimately withdrew himself from consideration for the attorney general post. In December, the House Ethics Committee reported that it had found evidence that he abused drugs and paid for sex, including with a minor, while serving in Congress. Gaetz's scandal-ridden history went unmentioned at the rally Sunday, where he beckoned those disaffected with the left to join Republicans. "If you come to our side," he told a few hundred attendees, "we will welcome you with a patriotic embrace." Though tense at times, the rally, dubbed the 'American Restoration Tour,' was largely peaceful, with the exception of a small fight and an arrest. Private security guards tackled a man who appeared to be wearing a kilt and yelling. He appeared to be handcuffed by police officers as Trump supporters chanted 'U.S.A.' One person was arrested at the rally on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, said Beverly Hills police Sgt. Richard Billingsley, although it was unclear if it was the same individual seen detained by officers. No additional details about the incident were available Sunday evening. The rally was held in Beverly Gardens Park, a lush green space that runs parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard and has been the site of frequent demonstrations in support of Trump. Although much of the affluent Westside skews liberal, Beverly Hills is home to neighborhoods that repeatedly voted for Trump. Read more: Trump vs. Harris results: Whom did your neighborhood vote for? Shiva Bagheri, the organizer of some pro-Trump gatherings there in 2020, told the crowd that she fled Iran because of the impact of 'radical Islam' on the nation. Bagheri said she voted for President Obama, but the 'bubble was popped' because he gave 'boatloads of cash to Iran.' A through-line of the roughly two-hour rally were speakers like Bagheri: former liberals who felt disenfranchised by the Democratic Party and became full-throated Trump supporters. Actress Natalie Beisner, who voted for Hillary Clinton and Obama, said the pandemic shutdowns made her rethink her political views. Beisner said that due to the shutdowns, she lost two jobs and her grandmother died alone, while at the same time, protesters prompted by the death of George Floyd could gather en mass. When she raised such concerns, Beisner said she was called racist and selfish. 'These people refused to acknowledge that I might have an honest reason for disagreeing with them. There was no conversation,' she said. 'So I walked away from the Democrat Party because for the first time in my life, I connected my suffering directly to Democrat policies.' Before the rally, which was organized by the creator of the #WalkAway social media campaign encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party, Trump supporters gathered in the heart of the LGBTQ+ community in West Hollywood to march into Beverly Hills. As diners along Santa Monica Boulevard brunched on patios and took in a drag queen performance, several dozen pro-Trump marchers chanted, 'Walk away from hate.' A slightly larger number of counter-protesters had gathered nearby, yelling, "No KKK! No fascist USA! No Trump!" A West Hollywood resident who went by the name Anniejump came with a loud speaker and pink bandannas. She called the group 'bigots' who came to the community of West Hollywood 'to attack queers.' 'Anybody who doesn't like fascists wants them out of town,' Anniejump said. But the LGBTQ+ community is not monolithic in its political views. Hunter Gibson, a 29-year-old gay man, told The Times that he felt that in places like West Hollywood, 'if you don't think a certain way, you're ostracized.' Conservative groups, he said, were more open to dialogue. At the rally, several speakers focused on the transgender community. After the event, Brandon Straka, a gay man and the founder of the #WalkAway campaign behind Sunday's event, expressed concern about transitioning by underage people. Straka was pardoned by Trump in January after being convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. 'I think you can be pro-transgender and also recognize that there's a culture that's too permissive, that's turning people into permanent victims, especially people who are not actually transgender,' he said in an interview. Cherie Currie, the former lead singer of the Runaways, sang 'Cherry Bomb' at the rally. The 1976 song was a subversive celebration of female sexuality and rejection of the patriarchy by an all-female band. Currie has since become a supporter of the "Gays Against Groomers" movement. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump supporters look for disaffected Democrats in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills
Supporters of President Trump and counter-protesters converged in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on Sunday in a small but raucous confrontation that included a performance from a pro-Trump punk rock icon and remarks from a disgraced ex-congressman. At a rally aimed at encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz portrayed the Republican Party as 'patriotic and joyful' while denigrating the opposition as 'angry and lonely.' 'They are the movement that allowed this great state to burn,' Gaetz said. 'They are the movement that turned what was paradise over to the homeless and illegal aliens.' Gaetz, currently hosting a political news show for One America News Network from San Diego, had stepped down from his congressional seat after Trump nominated him to be the nation's attorney general. The nomination sparked controversy because Gaetz was previously under investigation by the Department of Justice for allegations of child sex trafficking. After a long-running probe, prosecutors did not file charges. Gaetz ultimately withdrew himself from consideration for the attorney general post. In December, the House Ethics Committee reported that it had found evidence that he abused drugs and paid for sex, including with a minor, while serving in Congress. Gaetz's scandal-ridden history went unmentioned at the rally Sunday, where he beckoned those disaffected with the left to join Republicans. 'If you come to our side,' he told a few hundred attendees, 'we will welcome you with a patriotic embrace.' Though tense at times, the rally, dubbed the 'American Restoration Tour,' was largely peaceful, with the exception of a small fight and an arrest. Private security guards tackled a man who appeared to be wearing a kilt and yelling. He appeared to be handcuffed by police officers as Trump supporters chanted 'U.S.A.' One person was arrested at the rally on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, said Beverly Hills police Sgt. Richard Billingsley, although it was unclear if it was the same individual seen detained by officers. No additional details about the incident were available Sunday evening. The rally was held in Beverly Gardens Park, a lush green space that runs parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard and has been the site of frequent demonstrations in support of Trump. Although much of the affluent Westside skews liberal, Beverly Hills is home to neighborhoods that repeatedly voted for Trump. Shiva Bagheri, the organizer of some pro-Trump gatherings there in 2020, told the crowd that she fled Iran because of the impact of 'radical Islam' on the nation. Bagheri said she voted for President Obama, but the 'bubble was popped' because he gave 'boatloads of cash to Iran.' A through-line of the roughly two-hour rally were speakers like Bagheri: former liberals who felt disenfranchised by the Democratic Party and became full-throated Trump supporters. Actress Natalie Beisner, who voted for Hillary Clinton and Obama, said the pandemic shutdowns made her rethink her political views. Beisner said that due to the shutdowns, she lost two jobs and her grandmother died alone, while at the same time, protesters prompted by the death of George Floyd could gather en mass. When she raised such concerns, Beisner said she was called racist and selfish. 'These people refused to acknowledge that I might have an honest reason for disagreeing with them. There was no conversation,' she said. 'So I walked away from the Democrat Party because for the first time in my life, I connected my suffering directly to Democrat policies.' Before the rally, which was organized by the creator of the #WalkAway social media campaign encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party, Trump supporters gathered in the heart of the LGBTQ+ community in West Hollywood to march into Beverly Hills. As diners along Santa Monica Boulevard brunched on patios and took in a drag queen performance, several dozen pro-Trump marchers chanted, 'Walk away from hate.' A slightly larger number of counter-protesters had gathered nearby, yelling, 'No KKK! No fascist USA! No Trump!' A West Hollywood resident who went by the name Anniejump came with a loud speaker and pink bandannas. She called the group 'bigots' who came to the community of West Hollywood 'to attack queers.' 'Anybody who doesn't like fascists wants them out of town,' Anniejump said. But the LGBTQ+ community is not monolithic in its political views. Hunter Gibson, a 29-year-old gay man, told The Times that he felt that in places like West Hollywood, 'if you don't think a certain way, you're ostracized.' Conservative groups, he said, were more open to dialogue. At the rally, several speakers focused on the transgender community. After the event, Brandon Straka, a gay man and the founder of the #WalkAway campaign behind Sunday's event, expressed concern about transitioning by underage people. Straka was pardoned by Trump in January after being convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. 'I think you can be pro-transgender and also recognize that there's a culture that's too permissive, that's turning people into permanent victims, especially people who are not actually transgender,' he said in an interview. Cherie Currie, the former lead singer of the Runaways, sang 'Cherry Bomb' at the rally. The 1976 song was a subversive celebration of female sexuality and rejection of the patriarchy by an all-female band. Currie has since become a supporter of the 'Gays Against Groomers' movement.
