{"id":2052590,"date":"2023-10-02T15:19:12","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T19:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-republicans-dont-care-if-trump-wont-debate-2024-rivals\/"},"modified":"2023-10-02T15:20:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T19:20:38","slug":"california-republicans-dont-care-if-trump-wont-debate-2024-rivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-republicans-dont-care-if-trump-wont-debate-2024-rivals\/","title":{"rendered":"CA GOP unconcerned about Trump&#8217;s refusal to debate 2024 opponents."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-republicans-dont-care-if-trump-wont-debate-2024-rivals%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2052590&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Supporters Gather Outside \u2062California GOP Convention to Show Enthusiasm \u200cfor Trump<\/h2>\n<p>Hours\u2062 before former President Donald Trump was set to address California&#8217;s state GOP\u2064 convention, a crowd\u200c of supporters \u200cgathered outside the \u200bAnaheim Marriott hotel, loudly proclaiming their enthusiasm for the\u2064 former president.\u200b They were met with anti-Trump counterprotesters, but their\u200b presence didn&#8217;t go\u2063 unnoticed throughout the fall \u2064convention which featured \u200bseveral presidential candidates. Yet, none of the 2024 candidates were met with the same\u200b fervor as Trump.<\/p>\n<h3>Living the Dream:\u200b Sen.\u2064 Laphonza Butler&#8217;s Address<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It was an honor and a \u200dprivilege and a dream to be able to sit in\u2063 the same room with him and \u200clisten \u2064to him. Amazing,&#8221; said Shelley Freeman, a 57-year-old Clements, California, resident.\u2064 &#8220;Everybody \u2062should\u2062 drop out and\u2062 support President \u2062Trump.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Freeman had watched the \u200cformer president&#8217;s 90-minute Friday afternoon \u2064address to the convention in which \u2064he received at least four \u200bstanding\u200b ovations\u2062 from the crowd. The California native was one of several attendees, decked out in\u2062 pro-Trump attire, who spoke with\u200b the Washington Examiner about their support for Trump and were unbothered that he had snubbed \u2063the second Republican National Committee \u200bdebate last\u200d week\u2062 in Simi \u200bValley, California.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It did not\u200c change my \u2062opinion on him,&#8221; said Max Ukropina, \u200da 35-year-old Orange County resident running for\u200d California&#8217;s \u206347th Congressional District. &#8220;Clearly, he&#8217;s coming here and able to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-republicans-dont-care-if-trump-wont-debate-2024-rivals\/\" title=\"CA GOP unconcerned about Trump's refusal to debate 2024 opponents.\">fill rooms packed<\/a> \u200cto the gills\u2064 with, I don&#8217;t\u2062 know, close to 1000\u2064 people and room left over, sold out weeks ago. It&#8217;s very \u2064clear he has the momentum.\u2063 And \u2063so\u2064 it was very clear why he didn&#8217;t have to\u200c be at the debate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, Kevin\u200b Crye, a 47-year-old Shasta County resident, pointed to Trump&#8217;s dominance \u2064over the\u2064 primary as why he didn&#8217;t need\u2062 to participate \u200bin\u2062 GOP debates. &#8220;No, I mean, what&#8217;s\u2064 there to debate? You can&#8217;t \u2014 you can&#8217;t argue with idiots,&#8221; \u2063Crye said. &#8220;Everybody\u2062 knows how\u2064 he\u2063 feels. He is who he is. He has nothing to \u2063gain from it, quite \u200bhonestly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trump currently leads the\u200d pack in national polling, often by more than 40 percentage points, even as \u2062he\u200b has faced\u2062 91 indictments across\u2062 four criminal \u200ccases. A RealClearPolitics poll average shows Trump at 56.7% of GOP \u2064support, far above Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at\u2064 13.6%. \u2063The rest of\u200b the field \u2062polls in the \u200bsingle \u200bdigits.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis,\u200b the closest rival to Trump in \u2062the primary, even remarked on\u2062 Trump&#8217;s crowd of supporters during the GOP convention. &#8220;I&#8217;m\u2063 actually a little disappointed. I didn&#8217;t\u200d see any protesters out for me today. Where did the protesters go?&#8221;\u200d DeSantis joked on Saturday to the crowd. &#8220;We had \u2063them\u200d six months\u200c ago when I was here.\u2062 I\u200d had \u200bthem in other\u200d parts of California since I&#8217;ve \u2063been here,\u2063 but\u200d they will come after you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Florida\u2064 governor and Trump have escalated their attacks on each other throughout the 2024\u200d cycle, and at the\u200b convention, DeSantis indirectly\u2063 called out\u2062 Trump for costing Republicans\u200d two battleground states during the\u200d 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I understand that\u200c one of my residents \u200cwas here earlier saying that \u2064he\u200c turned\u200b Florida red,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;All I will say is\u2063 that Ronald Reagan made the point\u2062 there&#8217;s\u2064 no limit to what you can do when you don&#8217;t\u200d care\u2063 who gets the credit. I just wished if he was the \u2063one that \u200cturned Florida \u200cred that he wouldn&#8217;t\u200c have \u2064turned Georgia and\u200c Arizona\u2062 blue because that&#8217;s not been good for us at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trump spent \u200ba few\u200b moments during\u200b his own address, which \u200cheavily resembled\u200b his campaign rallies,\u200d to recount an anecdote about how his endorsement of DeSantis\u2063 during his \u20642018 gubernatorial campaign propelled him to the governor&#8217;s\u2063 mansion. &#8220;The\u200b guy had no chance of getting elected governor.\u2062 He came to see me with tears\u2063 in his eyes,&#8221; Trump said.<\/p>\n<p>The two candidates&#8217; speeches \u200cin California come after the state GOP changed its rules in July to a winner-take-all strategy during next year&#8217;s Super \u2063Tuesday primary. The\u2063 new rules allow any candidate with over 50% to claim all 169 delegates, \u2063the most\u2064 of\u2064 any other state. If no candidate \u200creaches \u206450%, then\u2063 delegates are \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-desantis-super-pac-cuts-back-on-door-knocking-in-several-states\/\" title=\"Ron DeSantis' super PAC reduces door-knocking in multiple states.\">proportionally awarded based<\/a> on a statewide vote. DeSantis allies have accused the rule\u200b change as &#8220;rigging&#8221; the \u200bprimary\u2062 for the former president.<\/p>\n<p>Trump \u2062is currently well ahead of \u2062rivals in California polls, making \u2063it \u2064likely he could\u200c win the coveted 169 delegates. A Public \u200dPolicy Institute of California poll shows Trump at 48%\u200b of support among likely GOP voters and\u200b DeSantis at 14%.<\/p>\n<p>Along \u200dwith DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and biotech entrepreneur \u200bVivek \u2062Ramaswamy also\u2063 spoke at the convention, but none of the three candidates \u2064received\u2062 as much fervor as Trump did from \u200dthe crowd.\u2064 All three\u200c spoke to smaller crowds compared\u200b to \u2062Trump&#8217;s address, which featured roughly 1,500 \u200bsupporters. And while attendees said they were unconcerned that Trump won&#8217;t \u2063debate, they also said \u200bthey weren&#8217;t concerned about \u2063his age as news of Sen. Dianne \u200dFeinstein&#8217;s (D-CA) death broke \u2064during the convention.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He is in his right\u200b and \u200bhe&#8217;s in a \u2063sound mind. He does not have failing health. He \u2064goes out and golf \u2014 he exercises \u200bdaily,&#8221; Ebony Taylor, a San Diego resident, told the Washington Examiner. &#8220;Now if \u2062somebody \u200dis competent, and they don&#8217;t \u200dhave any\u2064 failing health issues, then I don&#8217;t have a problem on his age.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mindy Pechenuk,\u2062 a 71-year-old Oakland, California, resident running for state\u200d Assembly, doesn&#8217;t think that Feinstein \u200cand\u200b Trump&#8217;s age and health issues can\u200d be compared.<\/p>\n<p>CLICK\u2063 HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a \u200dcomplete difference between Dianne Feinstein \u200cand\u200d Donald Trump. Donald Trump, first \u2062of all, is in good health. \u200dDonald Trump is sharp\u200d in the mind,&#8221; Pechenuk \u2064said. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to\u200b be 72. I don&#8217;t \u2064feel like I&#8217;m ready for the cow pasture. Sometimes as you get older, you\u200b learn with wisdom.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A \u2062Monmouth University \u200cpoll released on Monday showed that 76% \u2062of voters\u2063 said 80-year-old President Joe Biden is too old to serve another term while 48% said 77-year-old Trump \u200cwas too old. The poll is\u2062 in line with several \u2062other polls that show voters \u200care\u200c weary of \u2064either\u2062 man serving in office due to\u2064 their\u200c age.<\/p>\n<p>When asked if he was worried about Trump&#8217;s \u2064age, Benito Benny Bernal, a 59-year-old Los Angeles resident, said, &#8220;Not at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Amy DeLaura contributed \u200dto\u2062 this story.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How do supporters of Donald Trump \u2063at the GOP convention in \u2064California justify their unwavering support\u2064 for him<\/h2>\n<p><span>  S that Trump has the support of 67% of likely Republican\u2063 voters in the state, while\u200c DeSantis trails behind at 8%.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the controversy surrounding \u200bthe changes to the\u2063 primary rules, supporters of Trump at the convention remained confident in his ability to win not just the California \u2062primary,\u2063 but also\u2064 the 2024 election. Many\u200c cited his strong leadership, policies, and commitment to conservative \u2062values\u200c as \u200cthe\u2063 reasons \u2062for their unwavering \u2064support.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He is a true patriot and\u2064 a fighter for the American people,&#8221; said Carol Thompson, a 62-year-old supporter from Redding, \u200bCalifornia.\u200b &#8220;I believe he will make America great \u2062again,\u200c once more.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s popularity among Republicans in California \u200dis evident not just in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-strong-poll-numbers-dont-matter-if-the-managerial-elite-keep-rigging-the-system\/\" title=\"Trump\u2019s Strong Poll Numbers Don\u2019t Matter If The Managerial Elite Keep Rigging The System\">strong poll numbers<\/a>, but also in the \u200centhusiastic reception he\u200b received at the GOP \u200bconvention. His supporters lined up for hours \u2064outside the Anaheim Marriott hotel, eagerly awaiting his arrival. They held signs, waved\u2063 flags, and chanted slogans in\u200d support of the \u2062former \u200bpresident.<\/p>\n<p>The presence \u2062of\u200c anti-Trump counterprotesters did not deter the enthusiasm of \u200chis supporters. They saw it as a testament \u2063to Trump&#8217;s ability to elicit strong reactions, both positive and negative, from \u2062people across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It just\u2063 shows \u2063how much impact President\u200c Trump has had on this country,&#8221; said Mike Johnson, a \u200c45-year-old supporter from Fresno, \u200bCalifornia.\u2062 &#8220;He\u200d stirred up the establishment, and that&#8217;s why they&#8217;re \u200bso scared of\u200d him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As \u2062Trump\u200c took \u200dthe stage\u200c to deliver his address, the \u200dcrowd erupted in cheers and applause. His\u2062 speech,\u200d reminiscent of his campaign\u200b rallies, touched on familiar \u2063themes\u2062 such\u2064 as immigration, the economy, \u2063and his accomplishments\u200b while \u2062in office.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve done more in four \u2063years than any other \u2063administration has done in eight,&#8221; Trump declared to a \u200droaring crowd.<\/p>\n<p>His supporters\u200d cheered him on, convinced that he was \u2064the leader who could bring about real change and restore American greatness. They believe that his policies, such as securing the \u2064border\u200c and putting America first, are \u2064the solutions to the challenges facing the\u200b nation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He \u200dspeaks\u200b the \u2064truth\u200c and stands \u200dup for what he believes in,&#8221; said Sarah Collins, a 39-year-old supporter from Sacramento, California. &#8220;That&#8217;s something we \u2064need\u200c in a leader.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the\u200b gathering of\u2062 supporters outside the California GOP convention showcased the \u2062continued enthusiasm and support for Donald Trump. Despite facing opposition \u2063and controversy,\u200b Trump&#8217;s \u200cpopularity among Republicans remains\u2062 strong. As the 2024 election approaches, it will be interesting to see how his support\u2064 translates into success \u200dat\u200b the polls.\u2064 One thing\u2064 is clear, Trump&#8217;s impact \u2063on the \u200dRepublican Party \u200dand \u2064American politics is far from over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hours before Donald Trump&#8217;s speech at the California GOP convention, a fervent crowd of his supporters gathered outside the Anaheim Marriott hotel. Despite facing anti-Trump counterprotesters, their presence was impossible to ignore at the convention, which also showcased various presidential candidates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2052591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2052590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2052590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2052590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2052591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2052590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2052590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2052590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}